Metal detectors - what's the latest on their effectiveness and ease of use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work at a middle school. It takes tons of staff to get the kids through but they're getting to class on time now. They start their day being yelled at and treated like criminals, welcome to school. I want to see data on how many weapons or dangerous items FCPS has found with this nonsense. And yes, there are a million cases of people coming in and out of other doors before, during, and after school without screening so WTH.

Well, I’m not saying this is smooth. But part of it is that is would theoretically deter people from bringing things in. So how many they find isn’t the only metric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at a middle school. It takes tons of staff to get the kids through but they're getting to class on time now. They start their day being yelled at and treated like criminals, welcome to school. I want to see data on how many weapons or dangerous items FCPS has found with this nonsense. And yes, there are a million cases of people coming in and out of other doors before, during, and after school without screening so WTH.

Well, I’m not saying this is smooth. But part of it is that is would theoretically deter people from bringing things in. So how many they find isn’t the only metric.

No, people who want to sneak a weapon into a school aren't going to be waiting in line at the metal detectors. They will bring the weapon into the school through one of the many other doors, or before or after the 30 min metal detection window.

[Anonymous]

Did FCPS meet with Alexandria to learn more about their weapon screening? Bc every time I'm at Alexandria City HS I need to go through security. During the school day - through security. After school event - through security. Weekend sports tournament - through security. But they also have security guards and not teachers/staff running security.

Now I have no idea if ACPS students use side doors or other entrances, but at least ACPS is consistent in their use of detectors.

[Anonymous]

My kids was instructed to hold his laptop and binders overhead so as to not trigger it. Guess where people could hide banned items.

This is security theater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids was instructed to hold his laptop and binders overhead so as to not trigger it. Guess where people could hide banned items.

This is security theater.

This is what my high schooler has also reported. Seems like a complete farce

The school also made the deeply dumb decision to both delay the opening of doors 15 minutes and to close one of the two entrances to the school in the morning for walkers and drop off, so they can only use one school entrance in the morning. So now there's less time before the bell AND half the available entrances to those two large groups of students in the morning. Feels like an extra insult on top of this being ineffective.

[Anonymous]

HS counselor here assigned to work the detectors most mornings. It's a joke. If I can think of 15 ways a kid can get something past the screening, you can bet they can think of 15 more. The items we find that set off the screeners are eye lash curlers, aerosol cans, golf clubs. Zero weapons.

PLUS, it is taking teachers/counselors/admin, etc. away from being able to meet with kids before class begins. It is truly not a student-serving process.

[Anonymous]

They are completely pointless. My DD said there's one person at her school (Carson) who yells and tells them they must do X, Y, Z, so she tries to avoid that person's line. The kids seem to have all mastered what to do and know what will and will not set off the detectors. This isn't going to deter any child from bringing a weapon into the school.

[Anonymous]

I think we should all write the Board and Superintendent about this. It's a huge waste of money and time. Not to mention the people staffing it have so much other work that I'm sure they could be doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we should all write the Board and Superintendent about this. It's a huge waste of money and time. Not to mention the people staffing it have so much other work that I'm sure they could be doing.

The issue is that FCPS is implementing this so terribly. They need security guards, consistency, make everyone go thru weapons detectors any time you enter the building.

[Anonymous]

It’s so bad that now our insanely early bus time is 5 minutes earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we should all write the Board and Superintendent about this. It's a huge waste of money and time. Not to mention the people staffing it have so much other work that I'm sure they could be doing.

The issue is that FCPS is implementing this so terribly. They need security guards, consistency, make everyone go thru weapons detectors any time you enter the building.

+1. The kids go outside for recess and P.E. And they return to the building with no checks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s so bad that now our insanely early bus time is 5 minutes earlier.

This is the worst part of it all. Why not just shave 10 mins off of start time, and shave a few minutes off of study hall or whatever they call it… oh that’s right then due to all the random religious holidays they wouldn’t get the requisite hours or some other measure of how much time they have to be in school each year.

Car pool line will be even longer I suspect which makes for more lost instructional hours… but hey at least they can shift the blame for lost instructional hours from the school to the kids and their parents. Detention like tic tacs.

FCPS has jumped the shark.

[Anonymous]

Another ill conceived and very poorly implemented non-educational activity that diverted a significant amount of money away from what should be FCPS’s primary mission educating students.

FCPS has become analogous to Rome. A school board that pontificates (Roman Senate), that acquires more territory (KAA) without a plan on how to effectively use/manage it, while Reid (the Emperor) fiddles in her ivory tower thinking up ways to frustrate the masses (boundary review).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we should all write the Board and Superintendent about this. It's a huge waste of money and time. Not to mention the people staffing it have so much other work that I'm sure they could be doing.

The issue is that FCPS is implementing this so terribly. They need security guards, consistency, make everyone go thru weapons detectors any time you enter the building.

+1. The kids go outside for recess and P.E. And they return to the building with no checks.

It's odd for sites where high volumes of students go outside for non PE classes or never enter the building initially - trailers and modulars. Some urban, suburban school sites have perimeter fences and gates. No strolling through the site. https://www.vcstar.com/picture-gallery/news/education/schoolwatch/2018/03/16/heres-one-way-ventura-county-schools-are-staying-safe/32814039/
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/insights/how-security-fences-make-schools-safer-from-the-curb-to-the-classroom/173745/

FCPS did go maximum security on outdoors back in 2002 - football games at Fort Belvoir, trailer classes into the bricks and mortar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we should all write the Board and Superintendent about this. It's a huge waste of money and time. Not to mention the people staffing it have so much other work that I'm sure they could be doing.

Find some baby-faced adults to act as students and go through the line with cameras. Play the videos at a board meeting. Show the staff yelling at the kids and the nonsense.