Boosting Safety with Knife Arches in Schools
The heightened risk of terrorism, and the growth of knife crime in the UK, is a worry to many, and a sad reflection on our changing world.
Successive UK governments have recognised these issues, which is why Martyn’s Law legislation is being implemented to help tackle terrorism, and the use of Knife Arches in Schools is suggested, although without clear government guidance or funding, for metal detectors being made available.
So it’s left for each school to workout if, Knife Arches should feature in the Schools Safeguarding measures, …and the starting point, is assessing the risk.
Threat / Risk
While children as young as 4 years old have been found carrying a knife in school, knives are much more likely to be carried by older children. But it is important to remember, knife carrying involves just a small percentage of the total number of school pupils in the UK.
From a School Safeguarding point of view, the challenge is of course, that just one person carrying a knife, can have devastating consequences, as evidenced by the reports of fatal stabbings which feature on our news channels far too often.
While statistics indicate that while nowhere is totally risk free, they show how the likelihood of knife issues in schools is higher in inner city areas where older pupils may feel the need to carry a knife for a variety of reasons. Reasons include; to look impressive or intimidating to their fellow pupils, or they fear being attacked and unable to defend themselves, peer group pressure or gang membership may also be a factor.
So where can you get support or advice?
The Police have a great deal of experience in dealing with knife crime, and your local force will be happy to help with advice and guidance. They may also be able to offer some level of support or assistance should you decide to introduce metal detectors into your school.
There are also a number of knife crime charities and initiatives in some areas, which can offer advice and possibly even provide educational talks in school.
Introducing Knife Arch Metal Detectors in schools
If, after initial discussions, you are seriously considering the use of security metal detectors at your school, the next stage is consultation, as it is important to plumb the feelings of pupils, parents, school staff and governors, among others.
Pupils may initially express concerns about being checked with a metal detector on entering school, but feedback from some schools that have already introduced knife arches, indicates that pupils actually feel much safer once they have become used to the check routine, and this “Safer Environment” feeling is also often shared by the parents.
For maximum success, all involved parties should be kept up to date with decisions, progress and relevant feedback. This will include details of the school metal detector policy and procedures, why metal detectors are being introduced, what items are to be targeted, such as; knives and other bladed weapons, drugs, vapes, or mobile phones, as appropriate.
Choosing the right Metal Detector for your school.
Security Metal Detectors have come a long way over recent years, and many are now capable of delivering amazing results. They come in two basic types, Walk Through Metal Detectors, which are often referred to as Knife Arches, and hand-held Metal Detector Wands.
Both types are very effective, however scanning a pupil with a hand-held detector may take 20 seconds, while a Knife Arch performs a full body scan in under 2 seconds, making it a natural choice where large numbers of pupils need to be scanned quickly to avoid delay in getting to lessons, etc.
Walkthrough Metal Detectors / Knife Arches.
Airport style Walkthrough Metal Detectors can cost many thousands of pounds, but if you don’t need a unit that can detect tiny objects concealed within personal body cavities, or need other high performance features of top end units, a quality arch from a reliable supplier, which would be perfectly suitable for scanning for knives or vape-size objects, could cost from under £2,000.
Knife Arches are designed to check for target items in defined zones. Early units featured a single zone, so as you walked through the unit it would beep if it detected something. Standard modern arch units, typically feature 18 or 33 zones while higher performance models have up to 66 zones. As you walk through a multi-zone unit, it will pinpoint where on your body the item is concealed, and also offer the capability of detecting multiple items in different locations in a single pass.
Hand Held Metal Detector Wands.
Hand Held detectors are considerably cheaper than arch type scanners, and units could cost from under £100. Typically, the lowest cost units will feature analogue circuitry, be less sensitive than the more robust, modern, digital technology units, and have a tendency to exhaust their single use batteries quickly, making lifetime cost of ownership significant.
Modern digital-technology based hand held scanners such as the Garrett range from Insight Security, offer up to 125 hours operation from a disposable single use battery, the range also includes units which incorporate rechargeable batteries, making them friendlier to the wallet and the environment.
The Scanning Process and Throughput.
Whether using a Knife Arch or hand-held metal detectors, to scan a number of people quickly and effectively, they need to be funnelled into a single line so that each individual can be scanned then quickly pass on, so that the next in line can be scanned.
Where an object is detected by the main scanner, rather than interrupt the throughput flow, that individual should be passed on to a secondary check point, where personnel can investigate further, probably with the aid of a hand detector held wand.
Where the number of pupils to be scanned is greater than can be processed in a realistic time frame via a single scanner unit, there are a couple of options you could consider;
1. Use more than one Knife Arch scanner, although this would add additional equipment cost.
2. Select only some pupils for scanning and let others pass without scanning.
This could be done on an individual pupil basis, a particular class on that day, or some other selection criteria, but any such selection could lead to accusations of favouritism or bias and possibly lead to subsequent legal action by a pupil or parent.
The use of a low cost Random Search Selector (available from Insight Security) eliminates any risk of being accused of bias or favouritism.
Equipment Location and Sharing Facilities.
Assuming that all pupils or visitors enter the school via a single designated entrance, a knife Arch should be positioned in an area which can accommodate those to be scanned without leaving them out in the rain or cold while waiting to enter.
Most Knife Arches are designed be fixed in a static position, although some are available with the option of castors, which allow them to be moved easily to a convenient area when not in use.
Portable Knife Arches are designed for rapid deployment, spot check type use. Their components simply clip together to form the Arch and the units can be assembled and be ready for operational use typically within around 10 minutes.
They perform in the same way as a Static Arch, but when dismantled and packed for storage, they can easily be transported to an alternative location in the back of a typical hatchback car, which makes them a resource that can be shared between two or more schools if required.
Sharing an Arch between 2 or more schools can be a practical way to reduce the investment cost for each sharing school. Schools may of course want to individually invest in hand-held detectors and other accessories such as a Random Search Selector, Tote trays, divesting table, etc.
For more information or help, remember, our advice is free, our expertise pricelist,
so please don’t hesitate to call our friendly team of experts at Insight Security,
t; 01273 475500 e; info@insight-security.com w; www.insight-security.com
