Metal detectors suggested

Metal detectors have a place in securing Clark County public schools, but the devices can't be relied on as a foolproof means of keeping weapons off campus.

That conclusion was one of several reached by security consultants with the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, who conducted an assessment of the Clark County School District on Feb. 13-14.

"The decision to purchase and deploy metal detectors is best made when it is part of an overall philosophy on school safety and security," consultants said in a report released Tuesday.

District officials redacted portions of the consultants' conclusions, citing legal restrictions and school safety concerns.

"No school names are mentioned in the report," said Craig Kadlub, chief of staff for district Superintendent Walt Rulffes. "We didn't want to identify specific campuses if the report named vulnerabilities that could be exploited."

Consultants Gary Avery and Ralph Griffith, the vice president of field operations for the national group, recommended against the use of fixed metal detectors stationed at a school's entry, saying the practice does not work and can lead to complacency and inconsistencies in application.

Instead, the report suggests the district purchase small hand-held detectors that can be used discreetly in school hallways. Advances in technology mean that the latest generation of detectors, available for $100 to $150, are better at discerning what is and isn't a threat without causing embarrassment to students.

"It can quickly predict whether the object causing an alert is a gun, a knife and a girl's metal makeup case," the report said.

Consultants also suggested the district purchase and deploy portable walk-through detectors for intermittent use at middle schools and high schools. Those units cost between $2,500 and $3,000.

The report comes at a time when interest in school security is running high. Performed after a December school bus stop shooting left six people wounded and before three gunfire incidents around district schools left one student dead and another wounded, the report focuses on areas of key concern for the public and school administrators charged with student safety.

"I think that after these recent shootings, the school district should look at metal detectors again," said Canyon Springs High School Principal Ronan Matthew, who has unsuccessfully lobbied for metal detectors at his campus during the last two years.

"This matter is not difficult to deal with," Matthew said. "But kids' lives are at stake and the school district should seriously address this."

Kadlub said the report has been sent to school board members and district administrators. Some of the security recommendations, such as the installation of high quality digital cameras at school entrances, are being considered for inclusion in the district's next bond campaign. Other recommendations are likely to be part of future discussions on school security.

Spring Valley High School Principal Bob Gerye was part of a focus group that sat down with consultants and discussed student safety. One of the problems he raised was the district's lack of resources to expand seats for students who require alternative placements in behavior schools. And it's not just about the seats, Gerye said, it's about funding for the staffing to support those students, including social workers, psychologists and counselors.

"Kids who have behavior problems in class and don't get help aren't going to get better," Gerye said. "They need to work with a counselor on what's causing the problem or it can get worse. That's pretty basic."

The consultants' report also recommended increased training for the district's school police as well as the purchase and use of X-ray machines to screen student baggage intermittently at middle schools and high schools. Administrators should also be better trained on student safety issues.

Overall, the report said the district would rate high on any scale of student safety and security measuring schools in the United States.

"Can CCSD do better?" the report asked. "Certainly. All security plans are works in progress."

Contact reporter Lisa Kim Bach at lbach@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0287.