Abington High School implements tighter security for home football games
ABINGTON, Pa. (CBS) -- Abington High School football players took the field Friday for the first time since police arrested a teen they claim brought a loaded gun to a game last week. Fans were met with tighter security, which will now be standard procedure for all home games moving forward.
Abington played Council Rock North High School on Friday, with kickoff moved up to 11:30 a.m. because of last week's incident.
School officials cleared the field last Saturday minutes after police arrested a Cheltenham High School student. Police said the student had a gun on them, with a round in the chamber, two magazines, 30 more rounds and a laser light on the weapon.
That prompted this week's scheduled change. The teams began practicing at 10 a.m., with families starting to arrive around 10:15 a.m. In response, police and community members pushed a new mentorship program for at-risk Black teen boys into another gear.
"We are going to continue to attack and address this crisis," said Pastor Marshall Mitchell the Sunday after the arrest.
He leads Salem Baptist Church of Abington and stepped up to become one of the program's mentors.
"I was inspired really by our Chief of Police Pat Molloy, who called me in a really almost tear-filled conversation," Mitchell said. "He talked about doing something for our boys."
This was after an Abington High School student was gunned down Memorial Day Weekend. Abington Township Police Chief Pat Molloy said men in the community offered to help.
"Over 40 or 50 men who stepped up to the plate; diverse backgrounds, judges, psychologists," Molloy said.
The men must agree to strict state background checks and federal background checks if they have not been a resident of Pennsylvania for at least 10 years. Molloy said other mentors came from his own department. Abington Officer Joe Marrero is one of those mentors. He said he grew up as an at-risk teen and wants to offer kids options that could help save their lives.
"I believe with the right message in front of the kids, you get to steer them away from what they believe is the only route," Officer Joseph Marrero said.
Everyone found tighter security by the district and Abington Township Police.
"I think that's great," parent Natasha Pronsiati said. "Obviously, most importantly, is the safety of the kids. Also, the kids spend a lot of time working, practicing to actually play games. So whatever is necessary for them to safely be able to play games, it is fine with me, absolutely."
Abington School District said handheld metal detectors will be used and both Abington and Council Rock North students will need an ID to attend the game. No face coverings are allowed, except for medical or religious reasons.
No liquids, bottles or large bags will be allowed either, and there is no re-entry no matter what time in the game.
Cheltenham High School also implemented additional security measures for its football game Thursday night. But the response will not end there.
While the mentorship program grows, police and district officials are working hard to secure the rest of the games on the schedule. That includes tightened security around bags, masks, and re-entry.
