Metal detectors in schools has been a subject of debate for a while now, nonetheless a study published in the Journal of School Health in 2019 found that after installing metal detectors, the rates of violent incidents and weapon infractions decreased by 50%. Though this doesn’t entirely eliminate tension and fear among the students, it still shows an improvement when it comes to safety and security.
What are the Pros?
- Prevents contraband of any kind
- Prevents most gun violence
- Prevents unwanted threats/weapons
- Promotes safety for all students and staff
- Potentially allows students to carry backpacks, which will help students arrive to classes in a timely fashion as there will be less of a need to travel back and forth to lockers
- Potentially removes superfluous rules (IE hallway sweeps, passes, ID scans, etc.)
- Heightens security
I issued a survey among the students in the school, and the results showed that a select few of the participants agreed with the above advantages. Out of a total of 81 students surveyed, 39.5% voted in favor of the installation of metal detectors in the school.
Particularly a senior referred to as D.R. noted that “After the incident with the weapon that was brought into the school, no useful safety measures were implemented.” Furthermore, when elaborating on their opinion, D.R. stated that “It doesn’t matter who you keep out, it matters what you keep out. In my opinion, we should also have x-ray machines for the front, such as the ones used by the TSA, as metal detectors will not distinguish the difference between a firearm and a school-issued Chromebook” (Student Survey).
In addition another senior named Valerie Wawiorko reported, “If you think about it, you scan your ID each morning but anyone can easily walk in with a gun in their book bag.” Further expanding, the ID scanning systems that were implemented as a response to the gun incident two years ago was “a mere band-aid solution” (Student Survey).
What are the Cons?
- Potentially too time consuming
- Potentially cause students to be late for class
- Costly; the money could be better spent
- Potential false alarms/lack of consistency
- Creates an uncomfortable atmosphere
- Bad image for the school, neighborhood, and community
- Could instill fear and anxiety among the students and staff
- A sense of less freedom would generate
The results showed that the majority of participants agreed with the disadvantages. Out of the total 81 students surveyed, 45.7% voted against the idea of metal detectors, and only 14.8% of students were unsure.
Multiple students from grades 9-12 expressed many similar opinions including, “time consuming,” “waste of time,” and “longer wait times” (9th and 12th grades). In addition to the time consumption, students seemed to point out the potential false alarms that metal detectors may bring. Specifically, an 11th grader who wished to remain anonymous stated, “The metal detectors may beep for things other than weapons and may cause more of an annoyance than anything” (Student Survey).
Another issue that was often brought up was the cost. In particular, junior Lorelei Wittrock stated, “It’s generally a waste of money that could be going towards the actual education, teacher salaries, food, bills, etc.” She further commented, “The whole theater program is underfunded, for that matter, so blowing money on metal detectors when said money could be going somewhere better would be a waste” (Student Survey).
– Millimeter wave body Scanners (aka x-ray machines) typically cost around $150,000-$200,000
My Opinion:
Time Consuming
- I can understand how it may seem time consuming, however, so is ID scanning. We’ve managed to make ID scanning efficient enough; we can do the same for metal detectors (and even x-ray machines).
Costly
- Metal detectors are quite the buy; nonetheless, we’ve managed to spend $55 million worth of renovations for the school(s). We can certainly raise and spend enough money for the safety of our students and staff. I would argue that the school spends more money on the physical appeal rather than what matters.
Imprisoned Atmosphere
- Metal detectors, in my opinion, would give us MORE freedom. It would be a small price to pay for a wider variety of opportunities. Plus, the administrators have already installed several systems that make the school feel like a prison, such as no backpacks, ID scanning, bathroom passes, police patrols, hallway sweeps, etc.
Feeling Punitive
- It depends on how people look at it, though in no way shape or form are metal detectors intended to be a punishment. They’re meant to save lives. We may live in a suburb of Chicago; however, we still may suffer the consequences that happen nearby and no one should want to take such risks.
Despite my personal opinion and the opinions of many of my peers, the majority vote “nay” for Elmwood Park High School to install metal detectors.
Works Cited
- https://icjia.illinois.gov (Emilee Green “Programs and Practices to Prevent School Violence and Improve School Safety” Illinois Criminal Justice. 11-23-2020. 9/2024.)
- https://www.pewresearch (Kiley Hurst “About 1 in 4 U.S. teachers say their school went into a gun-related lockdown in the last school year” Pew research center. 4-11-2024. 9/2024.)
- https://schoolsecurity.org (School Metal Detectors – School SecuritySchool Security, n.d.)
- https://cdpsdocs.state.co (Schildkraut, J., & Grogan, K. (n.d.). Are Metal Detectors)
- https://student.survey (Ove, n.d.)
- https://spreadsheets (Ove, n.d.)
