Following the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, now the deadliest school shooting since Parkland, Florida, in February, many are wondering what can be done to keep students out of danger while in school.
Following the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, now the deadliest school shooting since Parkland, Florida, in February, many are wondering what can be done to keep students out of danger while in school. Most agree there’s no one thing that can absolutely guarantee the safety of students. In Illinois schools are required to perform mandatory emergency drills once a year, but many wonder if that is enough. Chicago officials said they are doing what they can to keep children out of harm’s way. A possible tragedy was averted at Harper High School Thursday when a student was caught trying to bring a gun to into the South Side school. Mecca Bryant, 18, was charged with a felony after police said a metal detector alarmed and a gun was found in her book bag. Wednesday a DIxon school resource officer foiled a school shooter before anyone got hurt. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said Friday he wants to divert a portion of tax revenue to help hire more school security resource officers. In Illinois schools are also required to perform mandatory emergency drills once a year. Whitney Young High School held its active shooter drill last week. The principal there said they don’t use their metal detectors every day, but rely on a „see something, say something,“ policy, and stress anti-bullying education. While some call for mandatory metal detectors in schools, whether urban, suburban or rural, school security expert Paul Timm said metal detectors alone won’t necessarily stop the violence. Chicago Public Schools said all 646 of its schools have an unarmed civilian security officer. Some of those schools – though district officials would not say how many – use metal detectors and x-ray machines as well as armed resource officers who are Chicago police officers.
