Does your school have metal detectors?

[Cody Carey]

A post recently made me think about it, and no highschool that I have ever been to has had metal detectors... does yours?

[KelliV]

My high school didn't. But Jones College Prep which is the school next to Columbia in Chicago (in the safest neighborhood in Chicago) has them. They also have the x-ray machines that they have for your carry ons at the airport.

[sanddrag]

My high school didn't and my college doesn't and I wouldn't mind if either one did.

[Donut]

Ours does not, I've heard of at least one in our area implementing them temporarily though.

[Pavan Dave]

Nope, but the high school where the UIL Competition was (for marching band) had metal detectors and fences so that no one could come in or out and on top of that the windows as well had bars on them, or atleast it looked like it at night when we were warming up.

Pavan.

[Cody Carey]

If you do, what area of the country do you live in?
And have there been any acts at your school that proved the need for them?

The most restrictive rule our school has
(other than the no weapons Zero tolerance) is that the purses are only allowed to be 5"x8", and that isn't really enforced.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Midwest: Sherrard doesn't have metal detectors but a single door that you must go through after the doors lock 1 minute after the bell rings for classes to start. In that hallway there is a button you have to push and then a camera you have to look into and state and spell your name, as well as give the reason you are there. THEN you have to be buzzed through and escorted to the main office, across the hall. I've only gone through once, so there might be a tiny bit of exagerration. Moline does not have any sort of security. There's also 2,500 students attending MHS. Compared to the ~500 at SHS. It's all screwy.

[Mike]

I was looking into the legalities of this after all students were required to have their bags searched before coming into school one morning (due to a bomb threat).

The conclusion that I found was that it is not legal for all people to be searched under one warrant, as it is more or less impossible to have probable cause for hundreds of students. The only time it would be legal is in a specific case, eg: you have probable cause for one student.

I'll find my sources later, I believe it was an ACLU affiliate.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by Mike

I was looking into the legalities of this after all students were required to have their bags searched before coming into school one morning (due to a bomb threat).

The conclusion that I found was that it is not legal for all people to be searched under one warrant, as it is more or less impossible to have probable cause for hundreds of students. The only time it would be legal is in a specific case, eg: you have probable cause for one student.

I'll find my sources later, I believe it was an ACLU affiliate.

I seem to have heard that if you were on government property, ie a school, search and seizure was legal without a warrant. Could be wrong, though.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by Budda648

I seem to have heard that if you were on government property, ie a school, search and seizure was legal without a warrant. Could be wrong, though.

Only with probable cause, or in an area where it is clearly indicated that acceptance of search is a condition of entry. (They do this at international borders where you can simply turn around and not cross the border if you do not consent to a search, but can't do it for an entire school, because you can't be compelled to enter such an area.)

[i_am_Doug]

Nope, but I wouldnt be caught dead with a "Harmful device" on me.

[Billfred]

Neither Irmo High School (my alma mater) nor Columbia High School (home of 1618) has metal detectors. Both are (naturally) in the middle part of South Carolina. Irmo's tends to be a little more affluent than Columbia.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

Only with probable cause, or in an area where it is clearly indicated that acceptance of search is a condition of entry. (They do this at international borders where you can simply turn around and not cross the border if you do not consent to a search, but can't do it for an entire school, because you can't be compelled to enter such an area.)

It doesn't take much for a teacher/adminstrator to claim probable cause.

[Kyle]

Neither one of the schools that I attened had metal dectors. One of them is in the middle of the city of Wilmington and the other is located outside of the city in a middle class area. The school in Wilmington has had 3 shootings occur within blocks of the school That I have responded to but non of them were related with the school I was told that they are now in the process of buying dectors for the main entrences of the school. I would love to see more schools and building have metal dectors, It would make lines longer but make people feel much safer, I really hate having to wear a bullet proff vest to work every day and being worried about entering a building, store or school for an assult and have to worry about being shot.

[Lee]

School doesn't (Southern Wesleyan University), but work does - along with X-Ray machines and explosive detectors - nuclear power plant...