Police Plan Hard-Core Presence For Apple Cup Increased Numbers ‘Advisable,’ WSU Police Chief Says

The “R” word is rarely heard these days at Washington State University. But with preparedness on the minds of police who endured last spring’s WSU riot, potential Apple Cup spoilers will face a beefed up law enforcement presence.

WSU Police Chief Bill Mercier said 50 Washington State Patrol troopers will be assigned to the field during the Nov. 21 game at Martin Stadium between WSU and archrival University of Washington.

It’s not an unprecedented number, but more than in recent years.

“We thought it would be advisable to have that many this year - for a general sense of preparedness,” Mercier said Friday.

As with most major events, the Whitman County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team will be on alert. All Pullman and WSU police officers will be working or on-call for the sold-out game.

The Apple Cup was last played in Pullman in November 1996, five days after an ice storm paralyzed the region. As a result, fewer fans traveled to Pullman’s 37,500-seat Martin Stadium.

This year’s big game comes on the heels of last year’s WSU Apple Cup victory in Seattle, which sent the Cougars to the Rose Bowl.

For UW faithful, it’s payback time. But law enforcement officials plan on keeping the cross-state rivalry safe and sane.

“There will be more police officers here, but there always are during Apple Cup,” Mercier said. “That’s for the protection of the crowd.”

When Pullman was host for the Apple Cup in 1988, a post-game riot erupted when fans rushed the field to tear down the goal posts.

In 1992, a section of students had to be cleared while a sheriff’s deputy deactivated a radio-controlled smoke bomb.

“You just don’t know about the Apple Cup,” said Whitman County Sheriff Steve Tomson.

This year, local law enforcement officers are better trained to handle large crowds than ever before. In August, approximately 200 of them received riot training, and many agencies bought new crowd-control equipment. While State Patrol troopers generally enjoy working the Apple Cup, WSP Sgt. Greg Miller said there “certainly is a heightened awareness” this year among those headed to Pullman.

WSP is also planning heavy highway patrols, said Miller, who is hoping for no snow.

Judging by the generally good behavior of students this semester, snowballs may be the only Apple Cup aggravation.

“We have no indications that there’s going to be any particular problems,” Mercier said, “but anytime you get the Huskies and the Cougars together it gets a little boisterous.”

The only mischief WSU Student Body President Ed Prince is planning involves cowbells and crooning.

Prince made an Apple Cup wager with his UW counterpart, Franklin Donahoe. If the Cougars win, Donahoe must come to WSU dressed in WSU gear and sing the Cougar fight song.

If the Huskies win, Prince must spend a day in Seattle wearing UW gear and a cowbell, and sing the UW fight song.

It’s that kind of harmless rivalry Mercier’s hoping for.

“Too often we focus on the negative,” he said. “We want everybody to come and have fun - and then get home safe.”