Police chief calls for better security at East-West game

No officer of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Force filed a report indicating pepper spray was used at last week's Chroshuk East-West football game, Police Chief Bob Davies tells SooToday.com.

However, the four off-duty police officers who served as security during the game had considerable difficulty with rowdy behaviour and the Chief is calling for beefed-up security during the annual event.

Yesterday and today, allegations of students being pepper-sprayed at DiPietro Field have been avidly discussed on SooToday.com's News Response forum.

"Two of my sons were walking around and ended up with a snoot full of the stuff," said 'Parent' in an anonymous posting yesterday.

"My boys did not receive a direct hit - thank goodness," the poster said.

"There were a few boys standing not watching the game (my oldest son was one of them). They were told to either watch the game or leave.

"Most turned to watch the game. A few decided to leave. When they didn't immediately turn to watch the game they were sprayed. My son was turned part way around and still had burning eyes and couldn't breath. My younger son was not that close, but suddenly he and his friends couldn't breath - there was coughing and choking," the anonymous poster said.

'No officer submitted a report for pepper spray'

Speaking this afternoon with SooToday.com, Chief Davies said that his officers are required to submit a report any time force is used.

"No officer submitted a report for pepper spray," the Chief said.

"There is no indication to substantiate the rumour that our officers used pepper spray at the East-West football game."

One officer said that he briefly removed his pepper-spray cannister from its holder, but he did not display it or indicate that he had removed it.

"He just discreetly pulled it out and then put it back," the chief said.

Police pulled from the street during bomb scare

Five on-duty officers had to be called in to assist their off-duty counterparts at the game, pulling constables off the street at the same time as the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service was trying to deal with Friday night's bomb threat at the International Bridge, Chief Davies said.

He tells SooToday.com that most football games are orderly events but he wants organizers of the East-West game to add extra security.

Four off-duty City police officers were hired to assist the City's security detail, which consisted of five or six people, some of whom were involved in selling tickets and other non-security functions, the chief said.

Given the "very chaotic" behaviour exhibited by some of the 2,326 spectators who paid to watch the game, Chief Davies says police presence at the game needs to be increased to about eight officers and a supervisor.

The chief says he'll also be asking for an alcohol policy similar to that used at Memorial Gardens, where bags are checked for alcohol.

Additional staff are also needed along the fence to prevent people there from passing alcohol to those inside, he tells SooToday.com.

What the chief says happened Friday night:

- the venue became too crowded and organizers stopped selling tickets at 8:30 p.m., with 200 or 300 people at the gate

- crowd behviour became "very rowdy" and the four off-duty police officers found themselves largely on their own in controlling the crowd

- the four officers became concerned that they were becoming separated in the crowd to such a degree that they couldn't keep track of each other's safety

- frictions in the crowd were made worse when the Sir James Dunn mascot went over to the St. Basil's side

- after the crowd started tossing eggs and water-bottles, the officers radioed for patrol back-up

- two patrol vehicles containing two officers each were dispatched to DiPietro Field, together with a road supervisor, at the same time as police were trying to deal with the bomb threat at the International Bridge

- two students were arrested and charged causing a disturbance by fighting

- four students were charged with being intoxicated in a public place

- officers escorted numerous students off the premises

- in many cases, parents were asked to come to the game to pick up their intoxicated children. "We didn't want to load up our cells with drunk kids," the chief said

- two of the officers were scheduled to work until 9 p.m., while two others were paid to stay later. But there was still a significant number of youth in the parking lot at 9 p.m. and the two officers stayed on the scene until after 10:15 p.m. to ensure the safety of their colleagues

Chief Davies said he'll be working with City security staff to ensure that such events are better handled in the future.