Philly will institute weapons scans of middle schoolers
Philadelphia PA May 7 2022 In the face of rising gun violence, the Philadelphia School District is beginning periodic weapons screenings in all middle schools and elementary schools with middle grades, effective Monday.
The aim is to scan all sixth through eighth graders at least once before the end of the school year. Scans will happen with handheld wands or metal detectors by district safety officers in the presence of at least one school leader, according to a letter sent to families Thursday and obtained by The Inquirer.
“The district understands that this level of screening may feel intrusive and inconvenient,” the letter reads. “The Office of School Safety is committed to implementing this process with transparency and sensitivity towards the various and unique social, developmental and societal factors. School safety personnel will treat every individual fairly and with dignity and respect.”
Before they walk through metal detectors or are scanned by hand, students will have an opportunity to dispose of any “illegal or inappropriate items,” defined as firearms, pellet or BB guns, knives, cutting instruments, brass knuckles, nunchaku, electronic shock devices, mace “and any tool, instrument or object used or intended to be used to inflict serious bodily injury to another.” Students found to have weapons will be detained and referred to city police, the letter said.
Kevin Bethel, the district’s chief of school safety, said the decision was in response to an alarming rise in weapons discovered at K-8 schools. Two guns have already been recovered at such schools, and additional weapons have been found outside. Elementary students have also been seen waving guns outside school.
Recently, a gun was found laying outside Bethune Elementary in North Philadelphia, said Bethel, adding that he was not “on a gun hunt,” but is troubled by the possibility of a child finding a weapon or bringing a family member’s weapon to school, for instance, because they were being bullied.
“For me as a father and someone who’s leading school safety, I thought it was important that we’re doing our due diligence,” Bethel said. “It’s keeping our community safe — not just the youth, but the staff as well.”
