Scanning: students put their belongings through a scanner where the belongings, in the book bag, pouch, or even a binder, are x-rayed and checked for any inappropriate materials. Then students have to step on a mat, which is electronically set to blink red or green when a student steps on it. Which cannot detect if a students is carrying something illegal. The unlucky student's who gets the red light, will have to be checked by the school security officer with a hand held metal detector.
Scanning seems insignificant to most of the students who attend Edison. The timing of scanning doesn�t make sense either because it is held randomly, about once every two weeks. When we have scanning, students are supposed to put all their belonging through the scanner. If the security guard that is watching the computer monitor notices that you have something such as a weapon, or a prohibited item for school in your possession then the security officer will confiscate the item. Then he/she will report you to the deans� office and the deans will take any actions necessary. After you are through putting your items in the scanner, you have to step on a mat, which is programmed to randomly turn red or green. This doesn�t make sense since someone who does have a weapon can be lucky and not be chosen, while someone who doesn�t have anything will get chosen and most likely be late to class.
Scanning doesn't seem like it is useful. It is a waste of time for us. The students who are unfortunate enough to get the red light get searched and have to take out everything they have in their jackets and pockets. This can be embarrassing and/or unsafe, because other students can see what the student has on him/her and also, how much money he/she is carrying.
This procedure does nothing but just make the students frustrated from having to wait on a crowded line early in the morning. Most students know that it is not that difficult to bring in something into the school, regardless of scanning or not. If a student wanted to bring something into school they have many alternatives, than bring it through the main doors. Either they can leave the weapon, etc. in a friends car, or ask someone to open one of the other exits in the school.
The only way we think that scanning can be successful is if it done everyday, and every student is passed through a metal detector, which will make it feel like we are going to prison everyday instead of school. Also the school will have to put a guard at every door. This seems like a expensive option, but that is the only way that scanning can be useful. Though school security officer, Fred, thinks different. Fred says,"it reduces some of the stuff that can be brought in ,which is good enough because we can catch one out of every three that try to sneak inproper stuff into school; then we are happy that we caught one, even though we don't catch every one, but it at least makes people think twice about bringing stuff in."