Constables answer call for Wash High football
Security for Washington High School’s football home opener Sept. 9 will be provided by constables, marking the second time in less than a year the district changed providers.
Washington School District board of directors voted Wednesday during a special meeting to engage the services of independent constables on an as-needed basis for athletic and extracurricular activities at a rate of $17 an hour.
Dr. Roberta DiLorenzo, district superintendent, raised the issue of security in an “effort to re-establish the relationship between the school district and (Washington) police,” she said.
Security at home football games was provided by the city police department for decades, until, in October 2015, the board opted to retain NSA Security Forces.
At the time, DiLorenzo and then-police chief Chris Luppino said there was a disparity between the role the district felt officers should take and what the police felt they should do during games.
During Wednesday’s meeting, board members said they expect security forces to manage crowds and the large amount of students attending games. Another problem, said board members, is the majority of the football stadium’s grounds are in South Strabane Township, out of the city police department’s jurisdiction.
“The board expects the police to enforce school rules,” said Rick Mancini, director of district operations. “We have really good home crowds, but there are a lot of rambunctious kids running around.”
Luppino said in October the purpose of police officers at games is not to enforce school policy, but to protect the public and enforce the law.
“To my knowledge, that’s the heart of the issue,” said Chief Robert Wilson, who was appointed in January.
The district offered to hire two police officers per game at a rate of $30 an hour. Wilson said after discussions with local Fraternal Order of Police representatives, he offered five police officers per game at a rate of $45 per hour, because of the cost of pay and insurance.
“At $45, we’re breaking even. I thought that would be fair,” Wilson said. “And I felt it was a safety issue with just two officers and that many people. … It’s just a safety risk up there if something would happen.”
Under the new plan, five constables will provide security for home football games with the possibility of working basketball games. Board members said they like the idea of armed constables as a deterrent to disorderly behavior.
The district will provide a job description and list of duties to the constables.
Mancini said the district maintains an as-needed relationship with NSA Security, at a rate of $19 an hour, and the decision to use constables is a financial one.
The district is in the process of also recruiting teaching staff to work during football games.
“The teachers would be paid to help, because they know the kids,” Mancini said.
Mancini said the field property was surveyed and both entities are working toward South Strabane transferring the property to Washington.