Police Launch Campaign Against 'The Pit'

Students loitering behind Broadneck High School will soon have uniformed police officers and more elements of law enforcement keenly watching their every move.

At a community meeting in Cape St. Claire's clubhouse on Monday evening, officials from local police, schools and nearby residents gathered to discuss what could be done about "The Pit," an area behind the high school where students gather before and after classes.

The Pit has long been a site for students to act out away from the watchful eyes of teachers. But concerns grew in February after a fight between two students was recorded and posted on social media websites.

Later that month, a 23-year-old man was arrested at The Pit for drugs and carrying knives in his car, along with two 15-year-old female students. 

Such activities have drawn the full attention of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

Captain Frank Tewey of the Eastern District of the county police department laid out a list of four goals at the meeting that he hoped to achieve with a initiative that will formally start on Monday.

• Deter loitering
• Identify people there and any violators
• Disrupt any criminal activity and address it through arrests and citations
• Instill safety in the community

If activity at The Pit dies down, Tewey said it may reappear elsewhere, but police would be back.

"I can't guarantee that it won't resurface, but I can guarantee that we're going to address it when it does," Tewey said.

What’s involved in that initiative? Tewey wouldn’t go into too many specifics, but said patrols would increase in the area, using both marked and unmarked cars. He also said video surveillance of the area is not out of the question.

“I can’t confirm or deny that we’re using video in that area,” Tewey said.

Most of the time, the activity happening at The Pit was considered nuisance crime—primarily cigarette violations, loitering and vandalism, Tewey said. But the area has proven that activity can escalate, given the right personalities present. Tewey and his officers hope to identify the key students who create these disruptions, which he referred to as the lights that moths are drawn to.

Tewey also employed a colorful metaphor, saying the police would cut the weeds down, but the community would have to put down weed killer to truly solve the problem.

“What do you do? Call,” he said. “You should talk to your students right now, because there isn’t going to be a lot of leeway. ... We’re not just targeting Broadneck High School. We’re targeting anybody in that area not doing what they’re supposed to be.”

BHS Principal David Smith said The Pit has been a problem area since before he was principal. However, most of the time, his hands are tied. His enforcement options are limited to school grounds, and The Pit is just outside the campus.

“Once they leave our property, the questions of our jurisdiction get a bit more murky,” Smith said.

Smith has reallocated two student advocate employees to the rear parking lot to oversee activities, and to try to communicate better with troubled students.

Correction: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Captain Frank Tewey's name. Patch regrets the error.