DEAR EDITOR:

I am a nursing student at Youngstown State University and I am writing to you about the importance of placing metal detectors in our schools. I strongly believe that metal detectors should be a requirement in all schools for the safety of all and with the increase in school shootings every year, this is a very prevalent issue.

A school shooting is defined as an event in which a student at an educational institution shoots and injures or kills at least one other student or faculty member on the grounds of that institution. These tragedies almost always involve multiple deaths and in the case of rampage school shootings, the shooter has no single target which can lead to more injuries and deaths.

Since Columbine in 1999, there have been 417 school shootings. That is an average of about 17 school shootings per year. That number may not seem too high, but when you factor in how many injuries and deaths are involved with each shooting, it is extremely concerning. These statistics are very disheartening and I think it is time we make a change. Let’s start here in our beloved Youngstown, Ohio.

A school should be a place of learning and growth. A place where a student feels comfortable and excited for the day ahead of them. Nowadays, we are all living in fear. Our students go to school every day and in the back of their minds is the horrible thought that ‘today may be the last’. That is not okay. Students and teachers should not have to fear for their lives. Parents should not have to say goodbye to their kids in the morning and wonder if they will ever see their baby again. Enough is enough. Schools should be a safe place and the implementation of metal detectors can add a layer of safety and security that we need in our educational institutions.

Metal detectors can come in various forms and are used to simply detect metal objects. Therefore, if someone tried to bring a gun into school, the metal detector would find it before any damage could be done. Research shows that there are some key pros to adding metal detectors in schools such as, the power of deterrence and the potential for detection. With the presence of metal detectors, students can be psychologically deterred from even bringing a gun on school grounds due to the fear of detection and them getting caught. Metal detectors can alert the officers at the school of a concealed weapon and allow for a chance to intervene. The chance to intervene before a student gets a chance to open fire means the tragedy can be avoided and all occupants of the school will remain safe and unharmed. This point is significant when pushing for the implementation of metal detectors in schools. The obvious goal is to reduce the number of school shootings and I believe that the research is on our side.

Additionally, there are some cons to metal detectors being placed in schools such as, a prison-like atmosphere and a false sense of security. Students may not like the thought of going through a metal detector before school each day. They may even over rely on the metal detectors, thus letting their guard down, but ultimately the pros outweigh the cons.

Along with the implementation of metal detectors in our schools, there are also some extra layers of security schools can take to ensure safety for all. Schools can implement perimeter security, like the addition of fences or gates to make it harder for outsiders to get in. They can also implement strict visitor policies, requiring identification, verification of identification, and stating the reason for the visit. Finally, schools can implement video surveillance that is monitored 24/7 by school resource officers to ensure nothing suspicious is going on and allowing for the ability to identify potential threats.

As discussed throughout this letter, I feel very strongly about this topic. My younger brother is still in high school and I worry every day that something terrible is going to happen during his school day. That should not be something we have to worry about. Our world should be a safe space with less fear and anxiety.

School shootings are beyond devastating and we need to do our best to implement safety measures to decrease the occurrences of them and hopefully, in the long run, our efforts can lead to prevention in the future. The time is now. We need to put metal detectors in schools to make them the safe place our students and teachers deserve. Let’s make this incredibly important change, Youngstown!

KELSEY HACKSTEDDE

Poland