A sea of police officers tried to keep tens of thousands in line as fans celebrated the Red Sox championship outside Fenway Park on Wednesday night.
But before the last out of the World Series, law enforcement’s presence was already in effect. A walk around Fenway just a few hours before game time would have scored a view of everything from uniformed Boston cops and K-9 units to plain clothes officers and MBTA transit police.
As the night went on, law enforcement's presence grew – officers arrived by the busload on Commonwealth Avenue. Boston police were assisted by not only state and transit officers, but also a consortium of other local police agencies.
Those out to celebrate were also greeted by barricades set up around the area to keep crowds from converging in specific pockets. But it presented challenges for those looking to navigate them, such as in this exchange between a Boston police officer and a group of women:
COP
You’re not gonna stay here…Walk down Commonwealth Avenue
WOMAN
You're not talking to little kids. So Commonwealth Avenue is the only place that’s open to the public in terms of transportation?
COP
Yes. Yeah, you can’t walk up Beacon Street. You can’t walk back up Brookline Avenue.
WOMAN
Alright, alright.
COP
If you wanna get anywhere, it’s gotta be outside the zone area. That’s all. I know it’s a bit of an inconvenience tonight, but you know that’s how they have things set up tonight. Sorry about that.
Yet, according to Michael Piscatelli – who came in for game 6 from Milford, Connecticut – that inconvenience was well deserved and well needed.
"My take away is they’re controlling the situation so it doesn’t get out of hand. They’ve done a good job. They cleared out the area," Piscatelli said.
Piscatelli said initially the number of barricades surprised him.
"At first I was watching the game, but then as you’re thinking it through you see, 'Oh, this is necessary.'"
Todd Carichner, on the other hand, said he wasn’t surprised.
"I kind of expected it, and like I said, job well done," he said.
According to Boston police, less than a dozen people were arrested for unruly behavior. But Carichner said all of the barricades and restrictions did present one challenge echoed by more than a few people, including this reporter: getting home.
