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Game security plan in place

By Michael Abramowitz
The Daily Reflector

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Pirate football fans who rush the field after home games this year in violation of the law and Conference USA rules will be videotaped and prosecuted, ECU police officials said.

Officials don't expect fans to rush the field after games this year, but are watchful and prepared with new security policies and procedures if they do, Major Frank Knight said.

After fans rushed the field following a Sept. 6, 2008, football game against West Virginia, charges of police brutality surfaced when some unofficial video footage showed confrontations between fans and law enforcement officers.

East Carolina University police are not expecting a similar incident this season, but rules have been clarified this year, and policy and procedural changes have been made to have officers better prepared to handle a similar incident, should one occur, Major Frank Knight said.

“I'm confident that we've prepared well for the season, but there is always the unknown. No matter what you plan for, something can go awry and you always have to be able to adjust in the moment,” Knight said.

One of the changes has Pirate Club fans seated in the lower sections of the stadium, particularly in the north section, Knight said. Other students and general fans will be either in the upper deck or the upper sections of the lower deck, he said.

“We feel the Pirate Club members are more disciplined and we will likely have less problems with them,” Knight said.

The law allows for a fine up to $10,000 against anyone who runs onto the field, Knight said. Also, Conference USA rules allow for possible forfeiture of the game and home-field advantage in playoff games, especially if any officials, coaches or players get injured by a fan, he said.

Officers' first priority will be to protect those people if fans rush the field, Knight said.

New digital cameras have been placed around the stadium to record unlawful activities, he said. Any students viewed violating the law will be prosecuted through the appropriate university administrative procedures, and non-student violators will be prosecuted through the off-campus legal system.

“We want the fans to enjoy themselves and be safe while they do,” Knight said. “We realize that when most fans run on the field, it's just exuberant celebration, but there are some who go on the field to vandalize or attack opposing players or their coaches. It's that small group of individuals that we have to protect people from. When you have 2,000-3,000 fans rushing onto the field, it's hard to tell those who are just there to celebrate from those who want to hurt somebody.”

One of the issues that concerned ECU administrators last year was the use of agencies and officers whose unfamiliarity with local officers and their procedures might have contributed to the confusion, Knight said.

For the rest of the 2008 season, ECU police worked only with Greenville police, Pitt County Memorial Hospital police, Pitt Community College officers and State Highway Patrol troopers (working outside the stadium only) for support. Those agencies work regularly with ECU police through mutual aid agreements and are more familiar with each other, Knight said.

The department also consulted an outside agency, the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security at the University of Southern Mississippi, for advice and suggestions, he said.

“One of the ideas we are adopting is the use of hand-held metal detectors to screen people at the gates,” Knight said.

In the past, police used volunteers to take tickets. This year they have contracted with Event One for use of their professionally trained staff around the perimeter, at the gates and as ushers.

“If they notice any rowdy or disruptive behavior they will notify law enforcement personnel who will respond to each situation,” Knight said.

New technological developments are expected to improve security at games this year. The VIPR 800 MHz interoperable communications system used by city and county emergency services will allow instant communications among all the individual agencies working game security, without the need for a central dispatcher, Knight said.