Metal detectors in schools

[3CATSAILOR]

The article in Friday's Letter to the Editor (Enterprise) about Metal Detectors was interesting. It does bring up a point about how a person would shoot their way right through a Metal Detector if the person was determined. However, I researched a little to see if it ever happened. I found one instance at the U.S. Capital where a person did try to get through the Metal Detector areas. He short the first police officers, two, only to be shot and killed by other nearby police officers. But, I doubt we would have 5 or 6 police officers in each school. It looks like we can't even get one in all of our schools. The Metal Detectors some people seem to like sound costly. I wonder what the true cost is?

 

[Chris0nllyn]

There is insufficient data in the literature to determine whether the presence of metal detectors in schools
reduces the risk of violent behavior among students, and some research suggests that the presence of metal detectors may
detrimentally impact student perceptions of safety.

https://www.edweek.org/media/hankin-02security.pdf

 

[Tech]

The article in Friday's Letter to the Editor (Enterprise) about Metal Detectors was interesting. It does bring up a point about how a person would shoot their way right through a Metal Detector if the person was determined. However, I researched a little to see if it ever happened. I found one instance at the U.S. Capital where a person did try to get through the Metal Detector areas. He short the first police officers, two, only to be shot and killed by other nearby police officers. But, I doubt we would have 5 or 6 police officers in each school. It looks like we can't even get one in all of our schools. The Metal Detectors some people seem to like sound costly. I wonder what the true cost is?

Looking into the shooting, the shooter is still alive and in a mental institution, shot and killed the cop when told to go through the metal detector then made it to DeLay's office suite where he killed the second police officer. Metal detectors will not stop a storming actor since he will just shoot the operators, with that being said it may reduce the chances that the fistfight turns into a stabbing.

 

[Clem72]

The Metal Detectors some people seem to like sound costly. I wonder what the true cost is?

It's unlikely they would be manned by more than one armed guard (as you mentioned above), but the cost of the detectors themselves are negligible. The large walk-through ones range from $500 to $5k, so less than the budget for snacks for a day.

 

[BernieP]

anything is possible if there is a will, they will find a way.

Back to the practicality of metal detectors in the schools.
I can't deny it would increase safety in some schools, schools with a history of kids bringing in weapons (knives).
But you have to balance the cost and major inconvenience of passing hundreds of children with their book bags and lunches through the screening in short order. How early do you want the kids lining up to get through screening and to class on time? Should they be at the front door two hours before class?

The cost isn't just the machines, you need at least 2 people, one of each gender, at the entrance to pat down people who set the machine(s) off.
They have to be on and monitored any time the school is open.

 

[3CATSAILOR]

Don't forget training, continued maintenance and personnel costs.