Paw patrol: Increased police presence coming for Panda Game

Residents in several Ottawa neighbourhoods may notice more police on Saturday to deal with expected crowds from the Panda Game the annual football game between the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens.

Ottawa police says more officers will be in the Sandy Hill, Old Ottawa South and Glebe areas as well as around TD Place at Lansdowne Park.

"Officers will be observing for unsafe activity, trespassing, public drinking and intoxication and other social disorder issues," police said in a news release.

Action Sandy Hill, the neighbourhood's community association, recently raised concerns about the lack of a crowd-control plan for the event.

William Milner, the group's president, told Radio-Canada in a Frenchinterview residents have dealtwith the fallout of the celebrations around the game for years.

Those issues include an aftermath of debris and garbage, as well as partygoers urinating on residents' properties.

About 2,500 people take part in the festivities each year, he estimated, and a lot of that centres on Russell Avenue, several blocks northeast of the University of Ottawa.

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury also said he told the university it needed to put measures in place similar to those taken when the event was last held.

In 2019, a tailgate-type party at the neighbourhood arena was organized, and more police were in the area during the event, which improved the situation, according to Fleury.

The universityhas confirmed to Radio-Canada it has madeplansto reduce the event's impact in the area, which includes reminders topartygoers about the province's public health rules.