As of 2025, a total of 91,114 New York City high school students pass through metal detectors everyday. Not every school in New York City, however, is a full-time scanning school. Many question whether or not it is worth it to go the extra mile and put metal detectors in every school building. When it comes to school safety, some may argue that the answer is always yes.
However, for school staff and students, the answer is not so easy.
According to police department data, over 4,000 weapons were confiscated in the 2024-2025 school year. Most of these weapons were not guns, but instead items like knives and pepper spray. Data determined that many students bring these items with them for protection during their daily commute to school on the bus or subway. Most acquired these items through their parents, who fear for their children’s lives when they are alone on the streets of New York.
In today’s climate, some school staff feel as though metal detectors are desperately needed to keep the community safe.
Two Cardozo teachers, Mr. Chew and Mr. Stiklickas, began a staff-wide petition in favor of metal detectors in the wake of the current climate. Although tracking down the many teachers of Cardozo has been a bit difficult, they have garnered 146 signatures thus far. After gathering enough staff signatures the two have plans to, “present the petition to the School Leadership Team, just to show everyone on the SLT that a lot of staff members supported it,” Mr. Chew said.
“Every day we don’t have metal detectors, we’re just taking another chance that something bad could happen,” Mr. Chew conveyed. “Metal detectors alleviate it 100%.”
Many of the teachers at Cardozo share this viewpoint, including Mr. Milani, a phys. ed. teacher. Mr. Milani expressed his view on metal detectors being a necessity, stating, “They have become part of your life. We see them in Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, and all these major venues.”
“They are accepted as a standard safety measure, at our school it should be no different,” he added.
Some students agree with staff, stating that the scanning makes everyone feel safer in the school. Senior Jenny To shared her own perspective on metal detectors, showing the positives to them.
“Even though it does take up a lot of time…I think it is necessary because school should be a safe place where you get an education,” To said. “Children shouldn’t be worried for their life when going to places like this.”
Senior Kayla Yi shared the same sentiment. “The metal detectors definitely make me feel safer knowing that nothing dangerous could be brought in,” she reflected.
Despite the positive feedback on scanning, many students have experienced difficulties with the current temporary metal detectors present at Cardozo.
Senior Anjali Nauth shared that the scanners prevent her from simply accessorizing. “Because my bracelets are metal I get searched every day,” she said. “It’s a heavy inconvenience especially because one of the days I had a first period test and was late due to having to wait in a line to be searched.”
Nauth is not alone in this struggle, as others have reported the same issue. Fellow senior Albert Wu said that he was searched because his cast got set off by the metal detectors. “I also had a screwdriver that got confiscated,” Wu said.
Nauth also pointed out the time issues that come about with scanning days. Many students are late to homeroom and first period due to the lines and time it takes to scan everyone into the building.
“They require us to show up for homeroom to be able to stay after school for clubs,” she explained. “It’s overall just an inconvenience at this point.”
As students point out, scanning makes them late to class, contributing to higher tardy rates and poor attendance.
According to reports about schools with full-time scanning, such as ones from the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), there are gray areas in the way scanning is conducted.
With many parents pushing their children to bring items, such as pepper spray, with them to school to promote safety on public transpiration, any item perceived to be dangerous or against the New York City discipline code, is confiscated during daily passes through a metal detector. Students also face disciplinary consequences for bringing in these items, such as suspensions.
In some schools, as well, not every student is being forced to go through metal detectors. A 2022 analysis by the NYCLU, shows that students of color make up 88% of the total enrollment in schools that had scanning. Other past analyses have found similar results. Many predominantly white schools have not been subjected to unannounced metal detector scanning across the city.
Along with these racial disparities, metal detectors can also create issues when they break down. The NYPD reported that the city did not have enough scanners to cover temporary scanning, which poses a bigger question; would there be enough to cover all schools?
School safety is multifaceted, especially in a city like New York. As reflected by Cardozo’s school community, this issue is not simple. And, while many argue school scanning is the only way to ensure the safety inside of school buildings, it is imperative that the Department of Education fights to address the root causes of youth violence in schools. This means investing in restorative justice programs, mental health counseling, and other initiatives.
While Cardozo High School has many of these programs in place, it is not the same for schools across the city. For the 2024-2025 school year, only about half of public New York schools reported they could provide mental health services for all students.
To successfully combat student violence, it is a long way to go. But, for some, metal detectors are the first important step in the right direction.
