Philadelphia on Monday begins screening and searching middle school students for weapons, citing an increase in “gun-related incidents and violence” across the city.
In a message to families, the School District of Philadelphia said its school safety department will conduct “periodic weapons screenings” as part of an effort to increase safety and avoid “potentially dangerous situations” on school property.
Students in grades six through eight will now go through weapons screenings, which will be conducted at every middle and elementary school with middle grades at least once before the end of the school year, at the rate of six schools per day. According to the district, school safety personnel will use a metal detector to search students in school entryways or other locations like auditoriums or lunchrooms, typically in the mornings.
…