Schools around Indiana will soon get handheld metal detectors. Now, school safety officials have to figure out how they’re going to use them. Last month, Governor Eric Holcomb launched a program that gives metal detector wands to every school that requests them. But it doesn’t provide funding for guards to staff a security checkpoint.
Plymouth Schools Director of Safety and Security Ted Brown told the school board Tuesday that he’s requested 10 metal detectors for the corporation. He’s been working with Plymouth Police Chief David Bacon and others to come up with an implementation plan. Brown said ideally, there would be two armed officers for every metal detector. The police department doesn’t have the manpower to implement security checkpoints, so Brown said the metal detectors probably won’t be used every day.
He added that he doesn’t want teachers or other school staff members operating them, since they don’t have the training or equipment to defend themselves if a weapon is found. But Brown said the state is planning to provide policy guidelines, which will give him a better idea of how the metal detectors may be used. Superintendent Andy Hartley added that a formal policy will soon be brought to the board for approval.
The topic came up during a larger discussion on the school corporation’s emergency plan. The school board approved a few updates, mainly regarding contact information.
However, Brown is working on a couple larger changes. They include a provision that would allow school officials to wait three minutes before evacuating a building during an unplanned fire alarm, as well as the implementation of a threat assessment team. That will outline the process of investigating any threats made by students. Brown plans to finish gathering information and have the emergency plan updates ready for the school board’s approval next month.
