In an effort to possibly save money, the Ansonia Board of Education is reviewing district policies about police officers at sporting events.
The topic was discussed at the board’s meeting last week. The district hires police officers to patrol sporting events, such as football games.
“I think it’s sad that half, or more than half of our gate receipts go to the police department,” said board member Fran DiGiorgi.
Athletic Director Anthony Piccolo told the board there are five or six officers for a normal football game, and there are eight to ten for games that command a larger draw.
“Most of our games don’t warrant six patrolmen,” DiGiorgi said.
Police Chief Kevin Hale, who was not at the meeting, defended the staffing levels — saying it is necessary for public safety.
“Nolan Field is a great field, but it is wide open. It’s a huge area,” Hale said. “The most important thing is public safety. We want to make sure people entering the field are paying. We have had assaults and issues there in the past.”
Hale also said the number of officers has remained constant over the past couple of years, and that the staffing is clearly communicated with district officials.
“We have the same number of officers at the games that we have had for a while. Some of the bigger games, we have more. This year, it looks like the Thanksgiving Day game against Naugatuck will be big, so we will have more officers for that,” Hale said.
It is not clear how much the district pays the officers. The specific amount was not discussed at the meeting last week.
Calls to Superintendent Carol Merlone and Board of Education chairman Lawlor went unanswered Thursday, Friday and Monday. Piccolo would not answer questions, referring a reporter to Merlone.
