Though administrative staff members at Bremen Public Schools were trained to use the corporation’s new handheld metal detectors by the county sheriff, school officials are waiting for a more solid set of rules to come through before they start utilizing them.
Superintendent Dr. Jim White reported that 6 metal detectors were received through Governor Eric Holcomb’s recent state-wide safety initiative.
Dr. White said at this point, they’re not quite sure that the devices will be needed all that often.
“We’ve kind of taken a conservative approach. You really need a probable cause. We’re not going to just randomly wand students as they walk down the hall or as they enter a building,” White continued, “but if we get a tip from somebody and think that someone may be concealing something, that’s when they may come into play.”
Dr. White added that no metal detector policies have been adopted yet. He said NEOLA is working to put some together and those will likely be the rules that come before the Bremen School Board for consideration.
In the meantime, White sent out some administrative guidance that informs staff members how to utilize the devices if the need arises.
Dr. White added that while he is grateful that Holcomb is making an effort to address school safety, there are many schools that are unsure how to utilize this equipment effectively. He shared that hopefully in the future, a larger group of individuals will be able to weigh in on what would be the most impact method of assistance.
