Hawaii football plan: Tackle unruly fans
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By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Aloha Stadium officials are boosting security and establishing special teams inside and outside the stadium to deal with unruly behavior by fans and prevent excessive drinking in the parking lot at tomorrow's sold-out Hawai'i-Boise State football game.
Ten to 15 police officers and eight to 10 private security guards will be added to the normal staff of about 85 police and guards inside the stadium, said Lois Manin, stadium deputy manager.
Police and Wackenhut Security teams will be sent to deal with or eject unruly fans, a new procedure that allows the rest of the security staff to maintain their positions throughout the game, Manin said.
In a statement yesterday, Aloha Stadium manager Scott Chan said anyone caught throwing objects or acting inappropriately "will be asked to leave the premises and dealt with accordingly."
"Although we hope to keep consequences to a minimum, guests need to know that we will not tolerate any type of inappropriate behavior that creates a potential problem or threat to public safety."
Special attention will be paid to the sections of the stadium designated for fans of visiting Boise State, Manin said.
Reports circulated after the Nov. 10 Warrior home game with Fresno State that accused Hawai'i fans of nasty and dangerous behavior during the game, including allegations that some spat and swore at Fresno supporters and threw paper and water bottles into the visitors' seating area. Some hometown fans also allegedly attacked Fresno fans.
Some Hawai'i observers countered that the incidents were not as bad as the Fresno fans claimed, and said unruly Fresno supporters were at least partly to blame.
"I know that there were things thrown," Manin said, "and I'll say it again: There will be a zero-tolerance policy on Friday on any type of irresponsible behavior."
Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced that the Honolulu Liquor Commission will dispatch all its inspectors to Aloha Stadium to help with any disturbances linked to drinking.
Security also will sweep the parking lot after the game begins, and will require people lingering there to either enter the stadium or leave, Manin said, "to prevent irresponsible behavior from occurring."
The stadium splits the cost of security inside the stadium with the University of Hawai'i. There was no estimate available on how much the extra security will cost.
Newspaper, TV and radio ads this week had head coach June Jones urging Warrior fans to show aloha at the stadium.
A number of fans said they fully support the plans for extra security. "I sit where I could see the disturbance that they had last week, and I don't how you control it," said longtime season ticket holder Ray Masuda of Kane'ohe. He said he saw one fan throw beer, and a mostly verbal altercation that apparently started when a UH fan threw someone's sign over the stadium railing.
Masuda said he believes security does a good job, and that a modest increase in police and private security "will nip it in the bud."
"I guess it's a few that basically can't hold their liquor, and it's a matter of a combination of overzealous fans being fueled by the alcohol," he said.
Manoa resident Aaron Jones believes Hawai'i fans are mostly well behaved but sees no problem with adding security.
"You don't want fights at the end of football games," said Jones, who plans to attend the Boise game. "That makes us look bad. Even if it's not us who initiate, it's going to make us look bad."
Others are more critical. In comments submitted by e-mail, UH fan Chris Levering remarked that "I am proud of this team, but not the fans." Levering, who is retired from the Navy, said he has stopped going to UH games because of the screamed obscenities and generally poor behavior of hometown fans.
"I understand heckling, I understand pride in your team, but there is no aloha at Aloha Stadium," he wrote.
Misconduct at UH games has been an issue before. New security measures were drawn up in 2002 following an on-field brawl after Hawai'i's 20-19 football victory over Cincinnati, and some spectators pelted Houston players with trash after an on-field brawl on Christmas Day 2003.
In 2005 and 2006, the Aloha Stadium Authority considered banning alcohol, but abandoned the idea.
Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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