We are in a different time here at Warren Central. New construction, new faces and new technology. The newest addition to the Warrior Nation is the metal detectors at the student entrances to the school, which, despite the slow learning curve at the beginning, do increase student safety, as long as everybody gives their best effort to protect others.
On March 18, the metal detectors went through what was called a “soft launch” at the main entrance to the school. Every student who entered through door one was required to pull their Chromebook out of their bag and hold it above the detector to ensure that it would not set the detector off. The first couple of days were slow, to the point where there was a line almost out of the door to get through the metal detectors. Having to go through a considerable amount of bags after the machines detected something in them, the administration was forced to give students 10 extra minutes to get to class on those days.
As students have become more used to this process and prepared for it, the lines have gotten shorter and the process is becoming smoother as a whole. Now, as there are these detectors at all student entrances, and we have gotten used to them, we can take a deep breath and realize that it was not all that bad. There is not a delay most of the time anymore.
These metal detectors were a great addition to our school. The piece of mind that students and staff can gain from knowing that all students entering the building have gone through a checkpoint is extremely valuable. Everybody inside the school can feel safe in the building, as they should be able to anyway.
“Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that this is just one step to provide a feel of safety for students and staff,” Principal Masimba Taylor said.
The entire idea, according to Taylor, was mostly influenced by feedback from parents. The surveys that were sent out to parents of students at the school triggered the plan for the metal detectors.
In order to solidify and truly gain confidence from everybody inside of the school that these machines are effective, though, the people who are checking students flagged by the machines need to be doing a thorough search of their bags. If they are just letting people go, even when they are flagged, then the metal detectors serve no purpose.
“It remains our responsibility to verify and enforce this standard,” Superintendent Dr. Tim Hanson said in an email. “Ensuring the safety of our students and staff each and every day at WCHS is our highest priority. We believe with the aid of these advanced screening technologies, we can enhance these efforts for greater efficiency and effectiveness.”
And these metal detectors are not a temporary thing. They are here to stay. We believe that the decision to bring them in at the end of this school year will be very beneficial. The kinks should be worked out this year, which will make next year flow better for all of the new and returning students.
If searches are done correctly when the machines flag something, then the addition of these metal detectors will prove to only bring positive results, as it makes the school safer in a world that continues to get more dangerous.