| Can Fingerprint Scanners Prevent School | | | | the school. Police could use this |
| Violence and Is It Worth It? | | | | information to piece together timelines |
| In this age of school shootings and | | | | of crimes. |
| terrorist threats, security is a bigger | | | | Teachers agree that the fingerprint |
| issue than ever at our nation's schools. | | | | scanner solution is a Band-Aid, but a |
| Some public school boards have decided | | | | much needed one to prevent further acts |
| installing fingerprint scanners at all | | | | of violence. A long-term solution would |
| entrances is the best way to proceed. | | | | include investing in programs to prevent |
| Proponents of using fingerprint | | | | violence starting at a young age |
| identification at public schools say | | | | (possibly using the DARE program as a |
| it's the only way to keep students safe | | | | model), but this would require major |
| in a system that is far behind the times | | | | investments by taxpayers and cooperation |
| in preventing violence. Many junior high | | | | from parents. |
| schools and high schools looking at | | | | Another arguments against fingerprint |
| fingerprint scanners have hired security | | | | scanners in schools is that it would be |
| officers to patrol school grounds. | | | | very time consuming to scan each student |
| Administrators say these officers are | | | | each time he or she enters or leaves the |
| not enough to combat the growing | | | | building and this would disrupt the |
| violence in the schools. Fingerprint | | | | learning process. Even with new |
| scanners would provide a means of | | | | technology that makes fingerprint |
| anticipating problems and deterring | | | | scanners very efficient, the process |
| violence. | | | | would significantly lengthen the amount |
| Under the new system, fingerprint | | | | of time needed for students to scan in |
| scanners would be placed at every school | | | | one at a time at each entrance. |
| entrance open to students. They would | | | | Administrators say it will be some time |
| scan in when they arrived at school, if | | | | before many schools will be able to |
| they leave the building for lunch, when | | | | afford enough fingerprint scanners to |
| they come back, and when they go home | | | | keep students moving freely. |
| for the day. Fingerprint scanners would | | | | Some people favor substituting face |
| be manned by trained guards who could | | | | recognition software for fingerprint |
| notify others if there was a problem. | | | | scanners. This could be much faster, but |
| School security officers say fingerprint | | | | current face recognition software is |
| scanners would go a long way to prevent | | | | much more expensive thanfingerprint |
| school shootings, fighting, bomb | | | | scanners which are already on the market |
| threats, drug use, and ditching. Using | | | | for consumer use. This would be |
| fingerprint identification would let | | | | prohibitive for many schools considering |
| them monitor when individual students | | | | additional security measures. Most |
| enter and leave the school. This would | | | | administrators agree that preventing a |
| be a deterrent to bringing in weapons | | | | tragedy like the Columbine shootings |
| and keep unauthorized non-students out. | | | | would be well worth the extra time it |
| Officers would also be able to keep | | | | took. They say we all have things we |
| track of students with histories of | | | | have to get used to if we want to be |
| violence or drug use and monitor when | | | | better prepared for all possibilities. |
| troublesome combinations of students | | | | Some people think fingerprint scanners |
| were outside together. They believe drug | | | | in schools would be a violation of |
| use and gang related violence at school | | | | students' rights of privacy. But others |
| would drop significantly with this kind | | | | say using fingerprint identification in |
| of fingerprint identification. Students | | | | public schools would be no different |
| ditching school would be easier to catch | | | | from metal detectors in government |
| in the act as well. | | | | buildings. |
| Fingerprint identification at schools | | | | Whether schools use fingerprint scanners |
| would potentially benefit law | | | | or face recognition software to ramp up |
| enforcement outside of school as well. | | | | security, there will always be questions |
| Each student would have his or her | | | | about safety versus liberty. This debate |
| fingerprints on file along with a | | | | can go on, but in the mean time our |
| photograph. They could be used not only | | | | children have become targets for |
| to identify suspects in a crime, but | | | | violence. If we must err, let us err on |
| also students who might be victims of | | | | the side of safety for our children |
| kidnappings and other crimes. The | | | | until we can find better ways of dealing |
| fingerprint scanners would be able to | | | | with today's security threats for all of |
| tell when a student suspected of a crime | | | | us. |
| or a missing student entered and exited | | | | |