After homicide, upgraded security measures planned for Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex
Following two gun-related incidents at the county-owned Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex on Sallie Mood Drive, including one homicide, county officials are implementing added security measures to improve public safety.
Related reporting: Savannah Police identify victim, suspect in Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex homicide
At Friday's County Commission meeting, Nathan Benson, Chatham County's director of occupational safety, risk management, and disability services, spoke of a number of efforts underway to increase security, including:
Training park and recreation staff with de-escalation techniques to help diffuse tense situations, such as the parent-participant confrontation that led to another adult pulling a gun during an Oct. 9 youth football game. "We have to train our staff how to identify events that could be forthcoming," said Benson, "how to de-escalate those because we don't just want to respond."
More: Gun violence spurs calls to end youth football at Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex
Providing advance notice of practice and game schedules to Chatham County Police so that "they can conduct their morning briefings or shift-change briefings, notify those officers so we have an increased community presence at those events."
Installing lighting and camera upgrades in the parking lot, around the boardwalks and fields.
Requiring certified security officers at all filled rentals.
Replacing of older and hard-to-read signs, which detail the rules of the soccer complex and parent code of conduct.
Limiting non-essential traffic and the flow of people during events.
Benson also spoke of creating an advisory committee for other youth sports, similar to the existing committee for little league teams. "That way there's more community engagement, community involvement on the front end of planning these activities and scheduling."
Chatham County Police Chief Jeffrey M. Hadley committed to rotating a mix of off- and on-duty Chatham County Police Officers during practices and games.
Officers will not sit in their car, said Hadley, but also mingle with spectators and parents, "just so we can have a relationship with everyone there in case anything was to happen, we can try to quell it as soon as possible."
The police presence will involve collaboration among area law enforcement agencies because the county-owned soccer complex sits within the Savannah city limits.
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"I really think that the relationships that we have with all the area chiefs and area law enforcement, they come in handy," said Hadley, "because we're able to just pick up the phone and say 'Hey, I need some help' or vice versa. I've never been turned down. I've never been disappointed by anyone. And, I hope they've never been disappointed by us. I have a lot of confidence."
Todd Rhodes, president and founder of the Savannah Royal Lions 6-and-under youth football league, said he has seen two Savannah Police Officers, both on-duty and armed, on each of the two fields for Royal Lions practices and games.
Rhodes, who had teams on the field during the Oct. 12 shooting, will host an "End Gun Violence" rally on Nov. 16 on the visitors' side of Memorial Stadium, 101 John J. Scott Drive.
At the event, people who have been affected by gun violence will speak, including a family that lost a daughter in a shooting and a poet will read from their work.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and public health reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County plans new safety measures after soccer complex homicide
