Richland 1 tests new security program, will add metal detectors at select schools
Some Richland 1 students will return from spring break Tuesday to metal detectors at the entrances of their school doors, Superintendent Craig Witherspoon wrote in a letter to parents Monday.
Metal detectors will be installed at “various” middle and high schools in the district beginning Tuesday, said Witherspoon, who did not identify how many schools or which schools would be participating in the roll out.
In an email after the announcement, Witherspoon said specific locations for the metal detectors were “still being determined.”
The district has discussed using metal detectors for several months, he added.
The district’s pilot program follows a review of security procedures, “particularly in light of some incidents that have occurred on our campuses this year,” Witherspoon wrote in the letter to parents.
The pilot period will last until the end of this school year, Witherspoon wrote. After the school year ends, district officials will assess the program and decide whether to make them permanent, he added in the follow-up email.
“Our priority continues to be protecting the safety (of) our students and staff,” his letter adds. “We will continue to review the safety and security protocols we have in place and make changes where and if needed.”
In addition to adding metal detectors, the district has hired a security and emergency services director who will coordinate with law enforcement about security issues and review the district’s safety policies.
The announcement comes after multiple incidents where students brought firearms to campuses across the Midlands.
Last month, a Lower Richland High School student was found with a stolen weapon they brought to school, mirroring a nearly identical situation at the same school several months prior.
Similar events have occurred at schools at other area districts in recent months.
This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 4:50 PM.
