ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – If you’re heading to a Rowan-Salisbury football or basketball game in the future, you will need a clear bag.

The school district implemented a new policy requiring spectators to only bring clear bags to football and basketball games, effective Monday, Nov. 28.

The new policy comes as people around the country feel uneasy when leaving their houses. Rowan-Salisbury Schools grandparent Jackie Sullivan says she’s happy for any added safety measures at schools or elsewhere in the community.

“Just because the state of mind people have now, it’s like they don’t care anymore. Nobody’s safe anywhere,” she said. “Anybody that’s against [the new policy] can’t be concerned about their safety or the safety of their friends and family. I think it’s a great idea.”

In March, two teenagers were charged with attempted murder in a shooting at a Rowan-Salisbury basketball tournament at Catawba College last December. In August, three people were injured at a Salisbury High School football game after false reports of gunfire.

But school leaders say it’s not any specific event that sparked the district’s new policy but rather a desire to make things easier for families.

“We try to be consistent. We try to mirror what the local colleges are doing. We are trying to mirror what our neighboring districts are doing, just so that it makes things a little more seamless for our families,” said Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Gregg Slate.

Slate says many of Rowan-Salisbury Schools’ athletic events are held at other school districts and Catawba and Livingstone Colleges, which all have clear bag policies.

The district has eliminated size restrictions on bags now that the clear bag policy is in place. 

Spectators will still need to undergo the same metal detector process the district implemented in January.