Expect To See Stronger Police Presence During Woodward Dream Cruise

DETROIT (WWJ) - Classic cars won't be the only thing spectators can expect to see along Woodward Avenue during the Dream Cruise on Saturday -- police officers will be there, and lots of them.

Officers in cities along the cruise route, from Ferndale to Pontiac, along with Michigan State Police troopers, will be out in full force. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office alone is sending more than 200 deputies to the cruise.

Sheriff Mike Bouchard said the heavy police presence won't be there to harass drivers, they just want to avoid any reckless driving and those following the crowd's pleas to rev up their engines and burn rubber.

"The possibility is really dangerous," Bouchard told WWJ's Sandra McNeill. "In one particular case a few years back, a woman actually lost control of the car and fortunately went to the left instead of the right, hit the median and flipped, rolled over. But had that car gone to the right, it probably would have killed 10s or 20s of people in crowds this deep."

Bouchard said alcohol is strictly prohibited in public spaces, and deputies will have their eyes out for spectators who might get a little too rowdy.

"The only time we'll really intervene is if something dangerous is happening. If somebody is doing some really unsafe driving, you've got so many people packed into such a tight area, if somebody loses control of their car, we'll have a major tragedy," he said.

Other than that, police will be there to make sure everyone stays safe and enjoys themselves. This is a family friendly event after all, he said.

"We want people to have a great time. My philosophy on this is let people have a great time, smile at them, thank them for coming and spending their money here," he said.

 [Continuing Coverage: Woodward Dream Cruise]