Cecilia Reyes, ProPublica, and Jenny Ye, WNYC
ProPublica
Despite the widespread use of the scanners, the amount of contraband found is low. Some school officials believe the daily security checks actually lead to behavior problems among the students. The metal detectors send a message to the students, says one principal, that “we don’t trust you. And even if we trusted you, we don’t necessarily trust the guy behind you.” That message, she said, runs counter to what her school is trying to teach and “it’s alienating.”
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