By Jane Prendergast
The Cincinnati Enquirer

It will take only 37 seconds to implode Cinergy Field, but Tristate law enforcement agencies have spent hours coordinating a public safety plan.

They have one goal: Make sure nobody gets too close to the implosion site - by foot, car or boat.

Accomplishing that means more officers on the streets.

BOOM

• Cinergy: A gentle explosion • Police working to keep public out of danger • Info, maps • Implosion wheres, whens, and don'ts • Camera to give its life capturing inside look

Cincinnati will have 60 extra officers for the implosion, some starting at 1:30 a.m. Dec. 29, more than six hours early.

Among the early tasks: towing cars parked in the way and using police dogs to sniff out anyone who may be too close. Officers will be on the alert for a homeless person sleeping near the site or someone trying to get one final close-up photograph, said Capt. Greg Snider, District 1 commander.

"We just don't want anyone to get hurt," he said.

Officers will set up "rolling roadblocks" on interstates, gradually stopping all traffic before the implosion. They'll keep cars stopped until all bridges and overpasses have been checked for any post-implosion damage. How long that process will take should be known Monday, when officials unveil final safety plans.

"I know people are going to hate that," Capt. Snider said, "but there's just no other safe way to do it."

Starting at 6 a.m., vehicles will be prevented from crossing the Interstate 471 and Roebling Suspension bridges. One hour later, the U.S. Coast Guard will stop all boat traffic on the Ohio River between the Interstate 471 and Brent Spence/I-75-71 bridges.

Covington plans to deploy 23 extra officers, mostly to watch crowds in Devou Park and along Riverside Drive.

"We're expecting a large crowd, but we're not sure how large," said Lt. Col. Jim Liles.

One Covington sergeant will be assigned to Cincinnati's command post to provide direct radio contact.

Newport firefighters won't make any special preparations, Chief Larry Atwell said. But if the crowd grows big enough, he might call a few in to staff a first-aid station.

"If it's 50 (degrees) and decent, you'll probably have a large crowd," he said. "But if it's 20, I don't think we will. Plus, it's so early in the morning."

E-mail jprendergast@enquirer.com