The Cheerleader Pat-Down

The most brilliant element was the cheerleader greeting. Female deputies would dress in bright

Redskins cheerleader outfits and station themselves at the entrance. Their mission?

Intercept every arriving fugitive with a big, enthusiastic hug. It sounds ridiculous,

but it was genius. That hug doubled as a weapons pat-down. In the span of a friendly embrace,

three seconds, maybe four, the cheerleader would feel for a pistol at the waist,

a knife in a coat pocket, or anything metal pressed against the body.

If she found a weapon, a subtle hand signal would alert the back-up team to intervene before

the guest made it to the ballroom. If he was clean, he got waved through with a dazzling