Why is enhanced security needed for MCPS athletic events?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This thread is too long. Are W kids bringing knives to football games now?

No, the Whitman student brought it to morning drop-off:

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/student-at-churchill-high-brought-knife-to-school-police-say/

Since there are no SROs any more, parents and students had to intervene when he brandished the knife.

SROs more often than not turn tail when faced with any real danger. This is exactly what happened at Parkland. They are not a reliable solution to this problem. One remedy is to remove kids like this from the general population.

So because one SRO turned tail during a mass shooting, we should get rid of all SROs?

It appears they don't serve their intended purpose so yes.

The study I read said 9/10 SRO's will run at the first sign of trouble. The only thing they excel at is harassing minorities.

We can debate the merit of the first part but the highlighted part is definitely true

You must have been living in a cave for ten years. It’s more the minorities harassing the officers these days. The things that the black teens say to the police today with no consequences.

Yeah, let's go back to the good ole days when cops were allowed to beat up, taze, and kill black and brown people, then claim "qualified immunity" to get off scot-free.

Oh, wait - those days are still here. Nice try, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the presence if SRO made minority students uncomfortable and anxious, so they act out. Once the SRO is removed all students are at ease and focus on study at school.

That makes perfect sense. We didn't have that service when I was a kid. They seem to just make things worse.

The rise in violent crime in schools this year after SROs were removed indicates that your statement is false.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the presence if SRO made minority students uncomfortable and anxious, so they act out. Once the SRO is removed all students are at ease and focus on study at school.

That makes perfect sense. We didn't have that service when I was a kid. They seem to just make things worse.

The rise in violent crime in schools this year after SROs were removed indicates that your statement is false.

Or maybe there's a global, multi-year that has something to do with it, I don't know...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/more-police-counselors-will-be-at-seneca-valley-high-to-address-fighting/

Fighting between students at a football game. I think it is interesting that middle school and elementary school students are banned without a parent. Makes me wonder how many kids were attending games late at night without parental supervision.

The elementary school kids is a real head scratcher. Was it just one kid and now all kids are banned I can’t imagine hordes of elementary schoolers going to games.

Does anyone think it's strange or inappropriate for middle schoolers to go to games by themselves? I could say the second about upper elementary, bit i recognize I'm probably an outlier there. I can't imagine a middle schooler going and staying with parents, though.

It's completely normal for middle school kids to go to places without their parents like malls, out to eat, the movies and a HS football game.

It’s really not. It’s normal in HS, but not MS. HS sporting events are not places you drop off a MS student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately, security at MCPS athletic events is MCPS responsibility. The police at football game mostly congregate in the parking lot area or streets right off of school campus. At our school, you see about 5 police cruisers with uniformed officers standing around talking to one another. None come into the stadium or stands.

School staff could improve security if staff members actually sit in various spots throughout the stands instead of congregating together on the football sideline. Particularly at the end of the game if there was a reminder to throw trash in the trash cans with staff redirecting people to clean up after themselves, the stadium would not been left covered in trash.

Were there middle school kids at the game? Yes. Were there elementary school kids at the game? Yes. Some were sitting with parents but some had a chaperoning adult watching a group of kids from an area of the stadium that was close by. There were no problems having the younger kids at the game. One high school student on the other hand was stumbling drunk in the stands.

There was one fight on the field. I wish there were none and MCPS should look at how players are coached and the consequences of fighting during a game.

I'm a parent of a football player. I can't believe you think that staff attending the events should be told where they have to sit or be working on off time and directing attendees to throw their trash away!
When I was growing up woodsy owl told us and now a days no one is telling anyone. I agree there should be more public pressure on everyone to clean up and stop littering. But I don't know how we could possibly ask any more of our school staff on their off time! We are lucky enough that they care enough to come out to the games.

As for players fighting. You have hormonal boys out there getting fowled, etc. You want to blame that on the coaching staff? Gmab! You seem to have a lot of "everyone else should " and blame for everyone else but it takes a village. When you were at the game did you tell kids where to throw their trash?

The administrators at the football game are not off duty. It’s part of their job responsibility to be there. MCPS could also hire extra security personnel specifically for the game. I haven’t seen one of the six school security officers in the stadium at our games. They tend to only monitor the parking lot with the police.

The point is, most of the problems occur in the stands which happens to be the place no one on duty goes. I can see your point that staff shouldn’t have to remind students to throw away trash, but a public announcement on the intercom with staff standing nearby would probably help. Lunch at school was a wreck outside till students heard reminders and staff were present at the end of lunch.

As far as the fights on the field, that’s not part of the game yet coaches actually encourage players to fight. If students had to sit out the rest of the game, I am sure coaches and players would think twice before throwing fists at one another.

You must go to a school where no security is needed because no one shows up. We saw plenty of security both in the stands at on the fields/sidelines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately, security at MCPS athletic events is MCPS responsibility. The police at football game mostly congregate in the parking lot area or streets right off of school campus. At our school, you see about 5 police cruisers with uniformed officers standing around talking to one another. None come into the stadium or stands.

School staff could improve security if staff members actually sit in various spots throughout the stands instead of congregating together on the football sideline. Particularly at the end of the game if there was a reminder to throw trash in the trash cans with staff redirecting people to clean up after themselves, the stadium would not been left covered in trash.

Were there middle school kids at the game? Yes. Were there elementary school kids at the game? Yes. Some were sitting with parents but some had a chaperoning adult watching a group of kids from an area of the stadium that was close by. There were no problems having the younger kids at the game. One high school student on the other hand was stumbling drunk in the stands.

There was one fight on the field. I wish there were none and MCPS should look at how players are coached and the consequences of fighting during a game.

And they’re getting paid overtime rates for that. Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately, security at MCPS athletic events is MCPS responsibility. The police at football game mostly congregate in the parking lot area or streets right off of school campus. At our school, you see about 5 police cruisers with uniformed officers standing around talking to one another. None come into the stadium or stands.

School staff could improve security if staff members actually sit in various spots throughout the stands instead of congregating together on the football sideline. Particularly at the end of the game if there was a reminder to throw trash in the trash cans with staff redirecting people to clean up after themselves, the stadium would not been left covered in trash.

Were there middle school kids at the game? Yes. Were there elementary school kids at the game? Yes. Some were sitting with parents but some had a chaperoning adult watching a group of kids from an area of the stadium that was close by. There were no problems having the younger kids at the game. One high school student on the other hand was stumbling drunk in the stands.

There was one fight on the field. I wish there were none and MCPS should look at how players are coached and the consequences of fighting during a game.

They aren't in the stadium or the stands unless there is a perceived threat. Because the new MOU that took police out of schools severely limits when police can be there. Remember, the student group leading the charge to get rid of cops doesn't even want them in the surrounding business community.

"MOU Non Negotiables
Eliminate police presence on school campuses meaning, no consistent law enforcement presence on school campuses (police cannot be stationed inside, outside, or immediately around schools)."


https://docs.google.com/document/d/13-tn7b-CAJi1dfq0hYnQVQ7H7lUptD4CrnsSOwMGpMU/edit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sherwood students were throwing racial slurs at Einstein students. Happened twice while the teams were at Sherwood. The coaches did nothing……..

Wrong, so spreading lies.

Dunno about what the coaches did or did not do but clearly this occurred and the Sherwood and Einstein principals are working together to address it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-high-schools-racist-incidents/2021/10/10/2b22abfa-2878-11ec-8831-a31e7b3de188_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately, security at MCPS athletic events is MCPS responsibility. The police at football game mostly congregate in the parking lot area or streets right off of school campus. At our school, you see about 5 police cruisers with uniformed officers standing around talking to one another. None come into the stadium or stands.

School staff could improve security if staff members actually sit in various spots throughout the stands instead of congregating together on the football sideline. Particularly at the end of the game if there was a reminder to throw trash in the trash cans with staff redirecting people to clean up after themselves, the stadium would not been left covered in trash.

Were there middle school kids at the game? Yes. Were there elementary school kids at the game? Yes. Some were sitting with parents but some had a chaperoning adult watching a group of kids from an area of the stadium that was close by. There were no problems having the younger kids at the game. One high school student on the other hand was stumbling drunk in the stands.

There was one fight on the field. I wish there were none and MCPS should look at how players are coached and the consequences of fighting during a game.

And they’re getting paid overtime rates for that. Ridiculous.

I don't mind cops getting O/T at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately, security at MCPS athletic events is MCPS responsibility. The police at football game mostly congregate in the parking lot area or streets right off of school campus. At our school, you see about 5 police cruisers with uniformed officers standing around talking to one another. None come into the stadium or stands.

School staff could improve security if staff members actually sit in various spots throughout the stands instead of congregating together on the football sideline. Particularly at the end of the game if there was a reminder to throw trash in the trash cans with staff redirecting people to clean up after themselves, the stadium would not been left covered in trash.

Were there middle school kids at the game? Yes. Were there elementary school kids at the game? Yes. Some were sitting with parents but some had a chaperoning adult watching a group of kids from an area of the stadium that was close by. There were no problems having the younger kids at the game. One high school student on the other hand was stumbling drunk in the stands.

There was one fight on the field. I wish there were none and MCPS should look at how players are coached and the consequences of fighting during a game.

And they’re getting paid overtime rates for that. Ridiculous.

I don't mind cops getting O/T at all.

Actually, never thought about it before, but this is what I see, too. And I like it as a happy medium. Went to a game last friday and there were some cops with cruisers by the entrance (just chatting with one another). There was security inside-- I was sitting near a raucous group of students and some sort of authority figure came up close to where they were standing and made eye contact and they settled down. Cops never came inside the stadium, but I guess were there in case something got started.

Seems like the perfect balance to me-- I liked having the cops nearby but no way I want them hovering over students.