September 1, 2005. It was a brief incident, over in just a few minutes. Most of the hundreds of people at C.W. Post Stadium last Friday night were enjoying Battle Creek Central's season-opening football game, oblivious to the scuffle in a seating section made up largely of middle-school students.
But the fight, the result of a summer-long feud between an eighth-grade student and a ninth-grader, involved a stabbing and two people received minor injuries. That was enough to prompt Battle Creek Public Schools officials to decide to use metal detectors for fans attending games, beginning when the Bearcats play their homecoming game Sept. 23.
We think it is a prudent measure that will help ensure greater security. While some might consider it an inconvenience, it will not be a lot different than boarding an airplane, entering a courthouse or even attending the recent appearance by Archbishop Desmond Tutu at Kellogg Arena.
It is a fact of life in today's society that when a large number of people assembles, there is a greater risk of some type of violence. It only makes sense to institute procedures that help reduce that risk as much as possible.
That is what BCPS officials are doing. By using metal detectors at two entrances, they hope to ease any congestion that might be created by the additional security. They also plan to institute other measures, such as more fencing, a stronger adult presence and expedite exit procedures to discourage loitering after the game.
These all are sound moves that will have minimal impact on fans.
We agree that Friday's unfortunate incident is not a reflection on BCCHS. As Principal Bruce Barney said, "We can't lose sight of the 99.9999 percent of the students who go to Battle Creek Central who are great kids. They do not want to be identified by this one isolated incident. They've got a great team, a great band . . . They don't want to be condemned because of this single incident. . . . We also don't want to forget the positiveness of our parents in our district. They are so supportive."
BCCHS already does an admirable job of providing security at football games, including 25 volunteers as well as on-duty and off-duty police officers. It was just such an adult presence that quickly quelled Friday night's fight.
But additional precautions, including metal detectors, can only help.
