GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The new Acrisure Amphitheater will draw major acts like Lionel Richie and Pitbull to Grand Rapids this year, and city staff and police are preparing for how they will manage parking and traffic flow when thousands of concertgoers flock downtown starting in May.
Concert nights will place a significant strain on staffing for the Grand Rapids Police Department, which expects to deploy 24 officers for traffic control on event nights at the amphitheater, and up to 30 officers when events are also happening at the soccer stadium.
That’s the equivalent of an entire patrol shift, said Sgt. Jeff Dionne, GRPD’s special events coordinator…