PINE BLUFF, Ark. — It’s homecoming weekend for the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.
When you drive across the city, you'll spot black and gold for the golden lions— even inside the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“They're celebrating 150 years of excellence,” said Jefferson County Sheriff, Lafayette Woods. “The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff is obviously the oldest HBCU in the state of Arkansas, but also the second oldest public institution beyond the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.”
With it being the 150-year celebration and homecoming, Sheriff Woods explained that they expect to see a larger crowd.
“This is nothing new to us but it's even more serious this year because we've got multiple things going on beyond last year,” said Woods. “So, we want to make sure people feel safe and we've got to adequate staffing.”
He said they've been working all week with different agencies to ensure a smooth and safe weekend.
"If they don't feel safe, they're not going to come back and so we want to make sure that what has happened in previous years doesn't happen this year,” Woods added.
He also said their office will have all hands on deck across the city.
“We've got a number of officers who have been permitted to work off duty at some of the establishments, otherwise, based on policy, they would not be able to, but we made some exceptions this year, because we anticipate, obviously, a number of festivities going on after the game,” said Sheriff Woods.
They’ll be keeping a close eye on everything and everyone.
“There's a host of things that we deploy, to ensure that we've got high visibility,” said Woods. “Attention to speeding, you know, burning rubber, you know, anything that's minor that we think may lead to something more significant.”
With the football game expected to draw in a lot of cars, they'll also be making sure everyone gets through safely.
“We're prioritizing, obviously, [the] university and in the game, just making sure you can manage game time,” said Woods.
For more details on the game and other events, please click here.