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