Authorities gearing up for New Year’s crowds

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999 | 10:59 a.m.

"I'm more concerned this year than I've ever been," said Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini, who along with colleagues has dealt with the annual street party since 1978.

The crowd there is expected to be about 20,000 larger than usual.

An extra 100 police officers are being added to the typical force of about 200, he said.

The sheriff's office gave up trying to keep U.S. 50 open years ago. As the crowds thicken several hours before midnight, the highway is closed and deputies focus efforts on keeping order at least as much as possible. Arrests typically number around 100, usually for alcohol-related offenses or disorderly conduct.

This year, "the most troubling part is the numbers of people," Pierini said, noting that hotel and motel rooms in the South Lake Tahoe area have been booked far earlier than usual. "People that never normally come up may have the urge this year."

A similar scenario is brewing in Reno.

"We're anticipating the crowd will be larger, but to us that doesn't make much of a difference," said Reno police Deputy Chief Jim Weston. "There's not much more we can throw at it."

As with past New Year's celebrations, Reno and Sparks police departments and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office will have officers working overtime. Reno police has canceled vacation time and leave for that weekend, and Washoe County has canceled all days off.

"There are 457 sworn people at the sheriff's department, and all of them will be working the day before, the day of and the day after New Year's Eve," said Washoe County sheriff's Lt. Doug Gist. "We're padding our staffing on both sides."

Police hope multiple fireworks shows and entertainment in the casinos will keep the crowd from concentrating in one place.

"The more the whole crowd masses in tighter, the more conflict in the crowd," Weston said. "With 10 different fireworks shows drawing the crowds attention in different directions, that's pleasing to us."

The biggest difference in the Reno Police Department's preparation for this New Year's celebration has been better coordination with other area police agencies, Weston said.

"It's not a whole lot different from any other year," he said. "We anticipate a lot of intoxicated people. We're not anticipating any riots. But who knows what twists will comes with this year's bigger crowd."

In Sparks, the police department plans to increase staffing by adding four hours to each officer's shift and overlapping swing and graveyard shifts.

"We don't expect this year to be different than any of the previous New Year's Eve," Sparks police Lt. Paul Ochs said. "We plan to staff up just like we have any other year for the possibility anything may happen. We don't have the crowds downtown Reno does."