Students debate metal detectors

By Emely Anaya Ortiz

Opinions Editor                

On Nov. 8, 2023, Crete-Monee High School had an Alice drill due to an “active shooter” supposedly entering the school building.

Photo taken by Aiden Roop

Later, students and staff members discovered that a student had popped a milk carton in the school's field house.

“A week before spring break on March 20, 2024, metal detectors were placed,” Mr.Tobias said.

Ever since metal detectors were installed in the high school, many students have not felt comfortable or have had trouble with them. 

“We get tardies because there is a long line in the mornings to enter the school,” Junior Nykiah German said.

Due to security stopping students in the morning to check their bookbags, many are forced to stand outside, which results in unnecessary tardies for multiple students. 

“I’d feel terrible if I got stopped because it’s like a violation of my privacy,” Junior Elijah Clemons said. 

Many students feel it is a violation of their privacy when they are forced to give their book bags to security, even though nothing inside the bag would harm any of the other students or staff members.

“Yes we should be able to wear normal book bags since the metal detectors should be able to detect dangerous objects,” Sophomore Bryce Milburn said.

Since metal detectors were placed on the high school grounds, many students have questioned why they are still forced to wear clear book bags inside the school. Students feel that because of the metal detectors, they should have the right to wear non-clear book bags.

“They had a good security system before them because nobody had brought a real weapon into the high school before metal detectors were installed,” Junior Caedman Vanderhoogt said.

Students believe that the school had a good security system before metal detectors because there has not been a report of any dangerous weapons being brought into the high school that could harm any of the other students or staff members. 

“More security could have been brought instead of metal detectors,” Freshman Jacob Lopez said.

Instead of placing metal detectors in the school, some students believe adding more security could improve the school and prevent danger. 

“I don’t feel safer because I always see multiple people sneaking things into the school,” Sophomore Justin Howard said.

Students in the high school feel uncomfortable because other students still manage to sneak illegal items into the school, even with metal detectors.