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