A rash of school threats at districts across the Houston region, including Conroe, has put a spotlight on the detectors to enhance school safety.
Chris McCord, the district's assistant superintendent for operations, presented information to the district's safety and security committee earlier this month on metal detectors and what the district currently has in place.
McCord said the district uses metal detectors, specifically at athletic events.
"They do work well but what they are is finicky," McCord said of the Garrett brand detectors used by Conroe ISD. "They require constant interaction to make them work correctly."
McCord said it is difficult to get the devices repaired.
"I could probably find a chupacabra before I could find anybody to work on these," McCord said. "Once they die, if you can't fix it yourself, it's over."
INCREASING THREATS OF VIOLENCE
In September, Houston ISD and Conroe ISD boosted police patrols at several campuses in response to nationwide social media posts suggesting several Texas schools could be the target of violence.
Conroe ISD school officials acknowledged the threats circulating on social media, specifically targeting Caney Creek High School but found them not to be credible.
A 13-year-old Lynn Lucas Middle School student was identified as making terroristic threats to several Willis ISD schools and is facing a felony charge.
Threats of violence at schools ramped up following the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia Sept. 4, which killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.
COSTLY SECURITY SOLUTION
Superintendent Curtis Null said the district has deployed the detectors to campuses when needed.
"We have used them randomly and we have used them when there is a threat," Null said. "The negative on these is they give a lot of false positives."
Null said metal detectors are costly. The Garrett detectors used by the district cost about $6,000 each. The committee discussed several other brands that are more effective but much pricier. Some detectors can cost up to $20,000 and some include yearly fees, he said.
Null said additional costs include retrofitting schools to accommodate detectors at entrances and the need for additional staff to operate them.
"If you are doing weapons detection, you really need an armed officer present," Null said.
Conroe ISD Police Chief Matthew Blakelock said learning that a person has a weapon is a "critical moment."
"You don't know what their reaction is going to be and you need an armed officer there," Blakelock said.
ARE SCHOOLS USING METAL DETECTORS?
Ken Trump, President of Ohio-based consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services, said the majority of schools in the United States do not use metal detectors on a day-to-day basis.
Trump said while metal detectors are sometimes looked at as a substantial step toward preventing weapons in schools, they don't solve the problem.
"Many students may still ride school buses," Trump said. "Would school officials somehow provide for metal detection of students before they board each of their school buses on the way to school each morning?"
Trump said many school shootings and violence occur outside on school grounds.
"There is no single strategy, or for that matter even a combination of strategies, that can provide 100 percent guarantee that there will not be a shooting or other act of violence at a school," Trump said.
Null said metal detectors are another layer of security.
"There is not a number out there that you could say that would guarantee that everything is covered," Null said. "All these (security measures) are layers, its just one more thing to do."
Null said during his tenure at Conroe ISD, the opinion is most don't want detectors at all campuses.
"There are a lot of people that don't want that feeling for their school," Null said. "If that is something the community wanted in the future, it is something we would have to consider."
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