Bulldog Bash weekend is here and the Starkville police are stepping up their forces to accommodate this large event. 
David Lindley, chief of Starkville police, said this event has been going on for 10 years, and the police have developed a plan for handling the crowds.
“As it has continued year to year, it has gotten better each year and it has become pretty much something we have a routine for,” he said.
Chloe Cantor, sophomore forestry major, said when she was at Bulldog Bash last year, she appreciated what the police did because it allowed her to feel safer and enjoy the concert.
“The Starkville police definitely made me feel safer,” she said. “There is so much chaos at Bulldog Bash because there are hundreds of people there, and knowing that the police were right there allowed me to have fun without being too worried about what was going on around me.”
Lindley said a certain number of streets in the Cotton District are always shut down for the event, and a perimeter is maintained with the help of MSU Support Services, who allows the use of its barricades.
Roads that will be closed for Bulldog Bash Friday night will include University Drive, Maxwell Street and Hogan Street.
The police will have detour routes set up for anyone who normally uses these streets.
The police started preparation for Bulldog Bash at 2 a.m. today with the closure of University drive and the arrival of the first pieces of equipment at 4 a.m.
After the concert ends, the police will continue to work through the night, taking down tents and helping vendors pack up until early Sunday morning.
Lindley said during the concert,  there will be a mobile command center for the police station set up as well as officers who work in pairs monitoring the crowd.
He also said there will be emergency services present at Bulldog Bash in case they are needed.
There will be a firetruck there, as well as an ambulance.
Sophia Bahlinger, junior secondary education major, said she appreciated these services that the police provided because it made her feel safer at Bulldog Bash last year.
“I was able to enjoy live music from the different bands because the Starkville police created a safe environment for everyone,” she said.