THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411090186
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LIESEL M. CATEN, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Behind the scenes, there's a lot going on at area high school football games. Before each match, a plan is developed that includes plainclothes and uniformed police, metal detectors and even the mounted police, all so fans can enjoy Beach District football in safety.
There has never been an incident involving a gun at a Virginia Beach high school football game, according to Detective Ike Cashwell, one of the Police Department's two school liaisons.
E. Wayne Sykes, assistant principal at Salem High School, said Salem was the first Beach District school to use metal detectors when it opened in 1989.
Other Beach high schools quickly followed Salem's lead and now all Beach schools use them. Entering the gate and having a metal detector waved over you is commonplace.
``Metal detectors act as a deterrent,'' Sykes said. ``No one's stupid enough to walk up to a metal detector with a weapon on them.''
In an informal poll taken recently at a Virginia Beach high school football game, 30 percent of those interviewed said that taking a metal detector test was a total waste of time; 70 percent felt safer because of it.
``Taking a metal detector test may be a pain, but isn't your safety worth it?'' said Michelle Marrero, 17, a senior at Salem High.
Concerned about safety, at one time school officials considered moving games to the daytime. The idea was dropped.
Coach Bill McTyre, head football coach at Salem, said that there wouldn't be as many people at daytime games. It might make parking lots safer, but something would be missing besides fans.
``People don't think of football games as being in bright daylight,'' said Austin Bonderor, 18, a senior at Cox High. ``When you think of high school football games, you think of Friday night and something to do.
``Football games are one of the few places where you can get together with all of your friends and just hang out without being asked to leave by the police,'' Austin added.
Some students said that the administration can get carried away with staffing the games with policemen, but Sykes maintains that it is better to have too many than not enough.
A lot of variables are considered when staffing a football game with plainclothes and uniformed security: weather, the opposing school, possible crowd size, and if it's a homecoming event. For the very largest crowds, even the mounted division will be used, Cashwell said.
Meanwhile, down on the field where the action is supposed to be, players say they are oblivious to disturbances.
``We don't find out about the scuffles until afterward,'' said Frank Pucci, a junior on Salem's varsity team. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Liesel Caten is a junior at Salem High School.
KEYWORDS: GUNS METAL DETECTORS SCHOOLS
by CNB