Weapon scans begin for Philadelphia School District middle-schoolers

The weapons screenings are happening upon arrival for center schoolers at six faculties every day.

Earlier than college students are scanned, they are going to have the prospect to discard weapons or inappropriate objects. If weapons are discovered on the scholars, they are going to be detained and referred to police.

Spokesperson Monica Lewis says the colleges are chosen at random, and the screenings are performed within the presence of not less than one college chief.

“They will simply have college security officers at these faculties the place they have already got them stationed anyway, and so they’ll have the scholars undergo a detector, if a detector is at that constructing, or they are going to have the wand,” Lewis stated.

Metallic detectors have already been put in at Philadelphia excessive faculties for years, however just lately, weapons started surfacing at elementary and center faculties.

“We’ve got had not less than two incidents the place college students might have had a weapon earlier than they entered the constructing. Or there was a scenario the place the scholar had a weapon that discharged after college, outdoors of a constructing, and we assume he might have had that with him whereas he was at school that day,” stated Lewis.

The plan comes as gun violence surges within the metropolis.

Simply final week the college board requested Metropolis Council for assist. These screenings are separate from that request.

“I believe it is OK. I imply it has to occur, and except they put in a metallic detector, what else are they going to do,” stated Patricia Deminie, whose daughter attends Mitchell Elementary in Kingsessing.

Mitchell is a kindergarten via Eighth-grade college. Dad and mom didn’t know when their sixth via Eighth graders could be screened, however some felt the violence throughout town and on this neighborhood warranted the measure.

“Like the place we’re standing, individuals have handed,” stated dad or mum Desaray Manily-Ward. “Final week a person acquired shot proper there. Although that is separate from the children, it is simply to be protected for everybody.”

These random screenings will proceed till the top of this college yr. Over the summer season, college leaders will determine whether or not to proceed them subsequent yr.