Stadium Security Steps Up

It is unclear, however, whether the larger number of officers at Saturday's game affected students' behavior.

The increased security included more police officers and a zero-tolerance policy toward rule violators.

Maj. Jeff McCracken said last week that nine students were removed from the stadium at the Texas game. Two received citations, and two were later arrested after warrants were served.

Although there were no citations issued Saturday involving fights, five UNC students were cited for alcohol violations and ejected from the stadium during the Georgia Tech game.

Two UNC students, both 18, were cited for underage possession of alcohol at 4 p.m. Reports state that a police officer was advised of a person mixing alcohol into a cup by a security officer and met one of the students and another officer. The student turned over five 50-milliliter bottles of rum and three empty alcohol bottles.

The other student, reportedly an acquaintance of the first student, then came up and was asked by the officer to hand over any alcohol he had. Reports state the student gave the officer two plastic flasks.

One student, 21, was cited for possession and concealment of liquor at 4 p.m. Security at the football game informed an officer that a person possessed an alcoholic beverage. The student was escorted to the concourse and asked to empty his pockets. He removed five 50-milliliter bottles of vodka and one 50-milliliter bottle of rum. All of the bottles were still sealed. Officers issued the student a citation and poured out all the alcohol in his presence, reports state.

One student was observed putting something into his boot while entering Kenan Stadium at Gate Five. When UNC officers asked him what he had put in his boot, he pulled out a 50-milliliter bottle of Jim Beam. The student, 20, was issued a citation for underage possession and escorted out at 3:30 p.m., reports state.

A female student, 26, was observed by an officer pouring a 50-milliliter bottle into a 20-ounce cup, reports state. She was taken to the concourse and issued a citation for possessing a mixed beverage on premises where it was not authorized by the ABC law. She was then escorted out of the stadium.

McCracken said last week that one of the contributing factors to the rowdy behavior at the Texas game was the amount of alcohol consumed by students at the game.

He could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Although there were numerous alcohol violations Saturday, some overseeing the game said behavior was not troublesome.

Security officer Jamila Lewis of Show Pros Security said the crowd was well-behaved. "Surprisingly the crowd has been really good," she said.

Lewis said the crowd might have been better behaved than at the Texas game because they were aware of the stricter policies.

"We warn them as they come in," she said. If a security officer had to tell a person more than once to behave, he would be ejected from the stadium.

Lewis said this game had more and better-dispersed police officers in the student section Saturday than the Texas game.

Seeing other students being ejected from the game might have also contributed to the crowd's good behavior, Lewis said. "They saw their friends escorted out, and they learned, OK, they are going to kick us out (if we misbehave)."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.