New security measures reflect bad times at TCHS
In the wake of two fights at Trenton Central High School during boys’ high school basketball games, school officials and education authorities have issued a list of rules and regulations for attendance and behaviors.
All visitors and spectators attending any TCHS events will be subject to searches of all bags, purses, camera cases, etc. Anyone who refuses to abide by the district’s screening policy will be denied access to the athletic event.
Admission will begin 45 minutes before the start of any scheduled sporting event.
All visitors must show a government-issued ID card.
High school students must have a student ID to attend all athletic events, even when accompanied by a parent.
No beverage or food in the gymnasium.
Middle School students must be accompanied by an adult to enter athletic events.
Students must sit with their accompanying adult during the event.
Unaccompanied minors will be removed from the premises.
Anyone who smells of and/ or is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will be denied entry into the school facility.
Any display of unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated; all violators will be removed from the premises.
There will be a no re-entry policy; once you have ( exited) you will not be readmitted.
No entry permitted after halftime.
No loitering will be allowed in the gym area or outside of the building at the end of any scheduled athletic event.
All spectators must remain in the stands.
Event administration reserves the right to refuse entry and/or remove anyone from the premises.
The regulations follow a fight between fans when Nottingham visited Trenton High on January 17 and another incident on January 31 when school officials cleared the gymnasium after fans fought with almost three minutes. Police and security needed approximately 20 minutes to restore order and the teams finished the game with no fans in attendance.
Not a fan of searches and ID presentations, especially when my presence rarely invites such invasions of privacy in games played in predominantly Caucasian suburban gymnasiums. Love freedom and an ability to step into just about any gymnasium.
If the assumption being made connects with African American teens or fans being more violent than their white peers — and TCHS officials believe they have the right to impose such safety measures — then they would not object to suburban high schools implementing similar styles of crowd control when Trenton visits.
Darren “Freedom” Green, a community activist and basketball announcer for Trenton High, support recent initiatives to curtail violence and antisocial behavior.
“We have a lot of things going on in this city that’s not being checked, monitored or even acknowledged. And that stuff can’t come into our schools. I hate to say it, but we’re in a climate that we have to move on some of these issues to make sure that we’re safe,” Green said.
“We’re in a place now where there’s a contingent in the City of Trenton who just doesn’t care. And if that stuff unfolds, someone’s going to get seriously hurt or killed.”
Green said white schools “don’t deal with the societal realities of an impoverished community. Don’t deal with the mental health challenges, addiction and all the other issues that happen in Trenton.”
A part of improved security and behaviors demands conversations with students about appropriate behaviors and reactions to incidents that may occur inside Trenton High.
Case in point, leaving the stands and rushing to a violent incident for selfies and videos should never be an option. Constant and consistent in-house discussions and teachings can impact change regarding these matters.
One Trenton High official who asked for anonymity because he had no clearance for public comment, accused that objectors to strict security measures would be “all over school administrators if something happened” without these precautions.
Perhaps but more likely not. At this rate, Trenton High should consider a “Healthy Prostate” game where men could be checked for weapons, patted down and receive a digital rectal examination (DRE).