New York City's school metal detector program has come to a standstill due to a complete lack of functional scanners. The Police Departmentâs School Safety Division reported that outdated equipment has left them without operational x-ray machines, rendering them incapable of conducting random scans. To address this issue, the Education Department has issued an emergency contract for 15 new scanners, valued at nearly $385,000, although they have yet to be delivered. This shortfall raises significant safety concerns amid broader worries about security in schools.
The Police Department's School Safety Division typically shows up at three or four different schools each day for random scanning. That unit "has zero operational x-ray machines due to the breakdown of antiquated metal detection equipment."
The Education Department issued an emergency contract to buy 15 new ones for nearly $385,000. That process allows the city to purchase scanners before seeking approval from the city's Panel for Educational Policy.
Gregory Faulkner, the chair of the panel, expressed grave concerns, saying, "God forbid that there's an incident and it could have been prevented if we had scanners."
Breakdowns on those campuses have led to long lines for students to get to class, principals warned earlier this school year.
Collection
[
|
...
]