BERKS COUNTY, Pa. – Some high school football games for fans in Berks will take on a different atmosphere this week when it comes to safety.
“This is standard procedure when you attend college or a professional sporting event or a concert; this is normalcy now in our world,” said District Attorney John Adams.
As the high school football season continues for Reading High and Governor Mifflin, both school districts are addressing security concerns and issues in statements to the community.
A community meeting will be held at the Governor Mifflin Intermediate School cafeteria on Thursday night to hear parents’ concerns.
“I think it’s time, and I think the school districts are being proactive, and I think it’s appropriate,” said Adams.
Both Governor Mifflin and Reading High say increased security and safety measures are going into place for this week’s games, including increased staffing, screening, and checking bags at entrances.
This comes after two separate incidents, including last Friday, when there were claims of someone having a gun at the Governor Mifflin game, leading to the game being halted in the third quarter.
Then, this past Tuesday, two Reading students were found with knives and an airsoft gun on Governor Mifflin school grounds.
“One of the things we have at high school athletic events is young teens. Sometimes kids don’t think,” said Adams.
“They act before they think. Their brains are not formed like adults’. They do things that are stupid,” he said.