Even before the tragic shooting at Columbine, there was a strong trend in public education to shore up security in schools. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 funding received a boost from the Safe and Drug Free Schools Act and other grants. This resulted in many districts installing metal detectors on campus. Currently they are employed by about 10% of schools in the US.
While we all want to keep our children safe, their use does bring up a number of legal and political questions to consider. When it comes to “search and seizure” does the deployment of school metal detectors violate the “reasonableness” requirement of the fourth amendment? That is, is individual suspicion required to check for weapons?
The Legal Answer
Numerous legal opinions have given the go-ahead and they cite two main theories. First, New Jersey v TLO (1985) states that student searches are considered a special circumstance and therefore require less probable cause. Second, The Administrative Search Doctrine has provided the constitutional basis for metal detectors at airports and courthouses. Simply put, procedures can be employed to advance the substantial district issues at stake as long as efforts are made to minimize the degree of intrusion into privacy interests.
So…
With the legal issues more or less sorted, what then are the de facto political issues surrounding school metal detectors?
The Political Issues
One is most certainly equity. A study by researchers at UC Irvine concluded that even though a school might be equally safe, students of color in high poverty areas are much more likely to pass through a metal detector to enter their building.
Kayla Patrick from the Education Trust writes “And for many students, the presence of metal detectors makes them feel less safe, not more. It makes them feel like they attend school inside of a prison or that their educators perceive them as a threat.”
That’s not all:
Patrick brings up a second issue: no parent wants their child to feel like they attend school in a prison. We want kids to be in an environment where they feel safe, engaged and ready to learn. Still, with so many incidents, many parents value their kid’s safety first. Marlo Davis Hill, when addressing the Palm Beach Schools Board wrapped up her presentation by stating:
“As I conclude, please keep in mind that as parents, we must protect our children at any given moment. I don’t know about you, but when I read 328 kids have lost their lives over shooting, it deeply hurts. Think about it, maybe those parents never fought for a metal detector. If it could have saved their kids’ lives, do you think they would? Unlike them, you have a chance not only to see your kids another day, but to protect them. What is your choice today? I know mine is to protect my child at any cost.”
Ah…
Cost. Another political flash point when it comes to school metal detectors. To be fair, deploying a screening station at every school is not cheap. Not only is there the cost of equipment, but the man hours required to monitor the units.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Metal Detectors In Schools
Let’s summarise the key points raised so far.
The pros of metal detectors in educational settings:
- An added layer of security and more peace of mind for both the schoolchildren and the parents
- They can detect smaller weapons such as knives, as well as vapes, especially when they can be calibrated like this one
- Compatible with the 4th amendment
- Successfully deployed in 10% of American schools
The cons:
- Faculty or staff required to run them in most cases (but not all)
- Traditional airport-style detectors can make the educational environment seem unwelcoming
- The cost of purchasing, maintaining and running the devices to school districts
- Once installed, they’re tough to move so covering many entry points becomes difficult
So, where does that leave us?
The Verdict
There’s quite a bit to consider for school administrators before installing a metal detector. There is no doubt that those in favor of school metal detection and those opposed feel very strongly about the issue.
Thankfully, a new generation of metal detectors is cropping up and solving the biggest cons of the devices. In 2021, you CAN achieve deterrence while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for students, at not such a great cost either.
New generation detectors, such as BallistiSCAN, combine a low-profile design (so no one feels like they’re in prison) with portability, and remote administration, so no staff have to be deployed to where the detector is (instead, they can receive an alert while working away at their desk if metal is detected).
This achieves deterrence while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for both students and the faculty.
It also helps avoid bottlenecking. We naturally slow down when walking through a metal detector gate – this is not the case when the ‘gate’ in question is just two non-intimidating, ordinary stanchions.
With the portability, many school districts deploy them randomly, at certain schools on varying days or events like football games or dances.
Thus, a level of deterrence is maintained by the element of surprise, and the district can buy far fewer metal detectors than they would with a stationary design, solving the cost issue. It’s very much a new way of thinking and a way to achieve more secure schools without many of the drawbacks we’ve seen politically around this issue.
