One of the latest grim testimonials to the way civility and courtesy seem to be draining from our society comes from the National Football League. It has declared a “Fan Code of Conduct” that calls for drunks, unruly and abusive spectators and rowdy tailgate party denizens to be denied entrance to stadiums and their parking areas, ejected from games without refunds and perhaps stripped of season tickets.

Whatever happened to days when men, women and children could go to events and not be fearful of verbal or physical harm? Lawrence area residents have experienced such incidents at Kansas City Chiefs games. More than a few have declared they no longer will patronize the area NFL franchise.

Ideally, people would choose to measure up to the standard emphasized by Eric Grubman, NFL executive vice president: “Enjoy yourself, come root for your team – but don’t infringe on the rights and enjoyment of other fans.”

Listed as the key behaviors that are to be dealt with officially this season are: “1 – Intoxication : that results in irresponsible behavior. 2 – Behavior that is unruly, disruptive or illegal in nature. 3 – Foul or abusive language or obscene gestures. 4 – Interference with the progress of the game (including throwing objects onto the field). 5 – Verbal or physical harassment of opposing team fans.”

There is no NFL police force to monitor the climate in the stands. Enforcement will be left up to the league’s 32 individual teams. Some say they have been moving in this direction for several years and will step up their programs. But no doubt about it, the consistency of enforcement and the fact there are sure to be some lawsuits are only the tip of this iceberg for decency and propriety.

There are some encouraging notes. The Miami Dolphins this season will introduce a hot line that makes it easy for fans to use their cell phones to summon security from their seats without having to trek through the stands to some faraway control tower. That’s a major step in the right direction. Other teams will follow suit, and should.

Without such electronic aids, a put-upon fan and his family might be injured if they tried to summon officers to deal with troublemakers. Game programs should prominently display the numbers to call for help.

The NFL, however, is not the only entity that needs to take steps to protect law-abiding people just trying to have a good time. In recent years, there have been increasing seamy encounters among Kansas-Kansas State and Kansas-Missouri fans, such as at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium last winter when the Jayhawks and Tigers met for the Big 12 Northern Division title. Both Missouri and Kansas fans had complaints about the “pro atmosphere” and they want no more of it.

Reintroducing more “law and order” into pro football stadiums will not be easy because there are too many troublemakers who have been allowed to operate in disgusting fashion for too long. They will not change just because of an announced “Fan Code of Conduct.” For example, who is to determine whether an individual is indeed intoxicated, and what happens if such accusations result in wrongful ejection from a game or other penalties? The new code of conduct presents a minefield for those making the decisions. Nevertheless, such a policy is long overdue.

But progress can be made if the 32 team administrations take to heart the way their stadiums have been drifting away from civility and courtesy. At the exorbitant rates that are charged for tickets, parking, concessions and the like, the team owners and operators owe a better atmosphere to those who want to concentrate on game activities rather than trying to avoid trouble.