It's crazy that such devices are installed at schools at all.
Also - metal detectors won't detect ceramic knives. So it's a security theatre anyway.
Also - metal detectors won't detect ceramic knives. So it's a security theatre anyway.
You're defending against angry teens who might decide on doing it because one day something pushed them over an emotional edge. In that case, just knowing there are security measures to overcome might be enough to make them never try in the first place. You're not defending against rational actor, you're defending against emotional actor and security theatre is effective against emotional actors.
Just feels like one of those solutions only we could come up with without actually solving anything. The teen TSA after school special version except with more dead kids.
There are broadly two solutions (to that, not premeditated crimes): Help people to get better at that, and/or minimize situations where actions carried out in a moment can have terrible outcomes.
Sometimes, one will be much more effective or feasible than the other; often a combination can work.
> You're defending against angry teens who might decide on doing it because one day something pushed them over an emotional edge.
I thought these scanners were installed (at least originally) mainly because of stuff like gang violence. I'd think a gang member (in their way) would be more like a "rational actor."
Also you'd have to differentiate the "smuggling a weapon" from "stabbing." The weapon smuggling part might be rational, but the stabbing itself be emotional and irrational.
I'm also not sure how many guns are ceramic.
none
there is at least one.
guns made entirely of plastic are also viable.
and there is no fully plastic gun, even polymer striker-fired guns have metal components (notably, barrel, slide)
please provide links