National School Safety and Security Services regularly receives questions about the use of metal detectors, AI weapons detection systems, surveillance cameras, and other school security equipment and technology.
While we are not “anti-equipment” or “anti-technology” in our approach, we do believe that the use of equipment and technology in school safety programs is also not a panacea for solving all safety concerns.
Unfortunately, a number of school districts have created a false sense of security in response to high-profile school violence tragedies by moving quickly to install equipment and other physical and tangible measures, often to show parents, the media, and the overall school community that they have worked on improving school safety.
Too many school safety technology decisions are made under pressure—after a tragedy, during a funding window, or in response to persuasive vendor claims. In those moments, it’s easy to confuse action with effectiveness.
That’s why we developed the School Safety Product and Technology Decision Checklist—an independent due-diligence resource to help boards, superintendents, and district leaders slow the process down and ask better questions before buying, piloting, or renewing safety products and technology.
This checklist is:
• A starting point for disciplined decision-making
• A tool to separate marketing from operational reality
• A way to document reasonable, good-faith due diligence
It is not anti-technology, not vendor-driven, not exhaustive, and not a legal or industry standard. Every school and district is different, and technology should support people—not replace supervision, judgment, and leadership.
Download the checklist here: School Safety Product and Technology Decision Checklist
For additional information see our school security assessments and our school safety and emergency preparedness training, which address school security equipment and technology issues, and contact our president, Ken Trump.