THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1999

Public schools tighten up security

Six school sniper shootings in the last 18 months. With the widespread incidences of violence, many questions have arisen. Are student locker searches, police patrols and weapon checks necessary in high schools?

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Tawnie Tran

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I would insist on it as one way to discourage students from committing violent acts.

Last year, some Los Angeles school districts cracked down and tightened up campus security. At first, locker searches and pat downs seemed to be an invasion of privacy, but as more innocent victims were injured or killed more people accepted it.

Some Los Angles schools may order students to only carry mesh backpacks. Other schools across the country have also taken precautions on campus. A middle school in Palm Beach, FL has banned all student book bags. Each student will receive two copies of their textbooks, one for the classroom and one to leave at home. Administrators say that this will cut down on what kids can carry and conceal at school.

The use of city police officers on campuses are increasing in popularity.

These kinds of measures must be taken to assure the safety and security of public schools. In the past, parents probably felt more confident that their kids were safe at school. Today that is not the case. Schools must take action to reassure parents, students and teachers.

Tawnie Tran is a public relations journalism major.