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Articles School Locker Safety

School Locker Safety

Principal Author / Publisher:Safetyhow Admin
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School lockers are used by students to store the books and supplies needed for schoolwork. The lockers are the property of the school district, and their use is limited by school policy. Many students add their personal touch by decorating the inside of the lockers with pictures and other items. Unfortunately, lockers are also good hiding places for weapons, drugs and other illegal or illicit paraphernalia. To keep students safe, school districts employ locker search and safety policies.

Safety Issues

The National Education Association Health Information Network collects and publishes statistics on school safety issues. According to the organization's website, 3,523 students were expelled for bringing guns to school in the 1998-99 school year. Between the years 1994 and 1999, 253 students died as a result of school violence. Firearms were used in 60 percent of the assaults. More than 135,000 guns are carried to school on a daily basis according to the National School Boards Association (NSBA). The National Center for Victims of Crime reports that in 2005, 8 percent of students reported being threatened with a gun, knife or other weapon on school grounds.

Locker Searches

A school's safety policy usually allows for random locker searches. During random searches, lockers are opened and the contents searched by authorized school staff. A locker may be singled out for search if school officials have reason to believe there is contraband inside.





Smart Lockers

Smart lockers make it easy for school officials to conduct random or targeted searches. The lockers use swipe cards instead of locks. They can be opened remotely from the school's computer system. Smart lockers track when the student opens the locker. The school may decide to investigate a student's locker if the locker is opened when the student should be in class or multiple times a day.

Legality

The right to privacy is often used as an argument against random or targeted locker searches. In the case of New Jersey v. T.L.O., reported in the article Surveillance in Schools: Safety vs. Personal Privacy, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schools "do not need a warrant or probable cause" to search a locker but "merely a reasonable suspicion." Other court rulings have decided that school locker searches do not violate students' Fourth Amendment rights. Using drug-sniffing dogs to search lockers for drugs is also legal.

Drawbacks

Random locker searches can feel like an invasion of privacy. The assigned locker is the only item in the school that belongs solely to a student during the school year. When the locker is checked, the student may feel violated, especially if the student has done nothing wrong. Another drawback is class disruption. Schools that do not have a "smart" locker systems may have to disrupt class so that students can open their lockers for inspection. The use of drug-sniffing dogs can interrupt classes in session when they attract students' curiosity.

Benefits

Locker searches increase school safety. They provide a way for schools to control the amount of illegal and illicit contraband that comes onto school grounds. Random locker searches provide a beneficial diversion tactic. Students are far less likely to bring harmful items to school if there is a good chance they will be caught.



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