Hoping to prevent a relapse of the 1998 and 2000 summer riots, the State College Borough Council offered possible riot prevention ideas at a work session last night.

A Staff Committee on Riot Prevention met eight times between August 2000 and January 2001 to discuss viable options and contributing factors to the outbreak in violence that occurred both times in Beaver Canyon.

The ideas were ranked from the most practical to the least practical via a numerical scale.

Many individual members of the State College community along with the Penn State administrator and the student community developed the options.

The most practical ideas include some that are already enforced or are required by state law, such as sending letters to parents about arrests for certain crimes, notifying Penn State Judicial Affairs of student arrests and providing for a stronger police presence on Arts Festival weekends.

Other suggestions that were listed as less practical include limiting the number of people permitted on the balconies, installing video cameras on adjacent rooftops to monitor activity on balconies and allowing Penn State to buy problem properties.

During the council's discussion, however, agreement was reached about a few specific problems that leveled out in practicality, according to the compiled information.

State College Police Department Police Chief Tom King said one contributing factor to the riots was the flood of people that left the bars after they closed. One of the suggestions on the list is to gain licenses from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board permitting bars to stay open past 2:30 a.m. for non-alcoholic service in hopes of controlling the outpour of people who spill into the streets after bar closings.

Borough Manager Peter Marshall, however, further clarified that the licenses would allow bars to stay open only to serve food.

According to state law, alcohol would cease to be sold past that time and entertainment would also have to end by 2:30 a.m., an important aspect of the option that council members feel would hinder the idea if brought before a public hearing.

Out of all the listed ideas and contributing factors to the riot, none received more attention than Acme Pizza, 200 E. Beaver Ave.

"Everybody we talk to -- the epicenter of so much of this is the crowd that gathers at Acme Pizza," said Mayor Bill Welch.

Ordinances the committee suggested toward curbing the mass gatherings that often mingle in front of Acme Pizza included limiting the hours food can be sold through a walk-up window and forcing businesses with walk-up windows to provide seating or waiting areas inside the food venue.

To further clear the congestion that occurs in the area, a suggestion was made toward eliminating the bus stop on East Beaver Avenue, east of McAllister Street. Mayor Welch said this would diffuse the crowd buildup that not only comes from the pizza line, but is also the result of waiting for the bus.

And although the Riot Prevention Committee has discussed the ideas several times throughout the past year, Marshall said there will be more discussion in the future.

Marshall said none of the ideas are intended to be a quick remedy and that there will be internal council discussions about the list of ideas on Feb. 23 plus several public hearings.

During the meeting, King also proposed where the local law enforcement should use the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Funds.

King said vehicle accidents in the State College Borough have gone up 4 percent since last year and he believes the money should go toward red light enforcement, especially in the areas of North Atherton Street and South Atherton Street.

King suggested video cameras in the patrol vehicles and on-foot enforcement in certain red light areas because of the large amount of traffic and the heavy volume of pedestrians.

King said he wanted to focus on traffic problems with the fund, because in the past years he has targeted the issues of drug violations with a K-9 program and alcohol issues through the distribution of alcohol testers to police officers.