Are Metal Detectors Worth The Investment?

The average security detector costs between $3,000 – $4,500. You might think this is a large sum of money (which it is) but to be honest your biggest expense is going to be the security guard that manages the system every single time it is used. That being said, when it comes to saving lives and upgrading overall safety of a community, there should be no excuses. Doing nothing to prevent any accidents from happening is definitely a luxury; in this day and age, it should not be tolerated. Metal detectors can really improve on the safety of a company, or a public building, and there are many examples for that. They simply eliminate possession of weapons and alert the screener beforehand; many schools have found the solution for their safety problems by putting detectors at the entrance. In LA, carrying weapons decreased 25% since the input of detectors- and all public places should make use of them. However, it is still not so.

Although many public places have understood the need for metal detectors, there is much more to be done about the problem of safety. Safety does not only refer to public buildings, schools, etc. It should be all around us, on every step. Recent events have shown that the situation is very grave and calls for prompt action. This year alone saw several events that are good for “sobering up” and realizing that public safety is constantly being questioned. Sandy Hook incident, Boston Marathon bombings and the shooting at LA airport are all examples of safety control measures going the wrong way.

One should not be misled into thinking that better safety measures could not have made much difference: it is definitely not so. US government officials stated that there had been no intelligence reports indicating that a bombing would take place in Boston, but this only makes the whole thing more serious. Using top of the line metal detectors and scanning the whole area would definitely up the level of safety for all the spectators and participants of the marathon. The unfortunate Sandy Hook incident ushered in a new positive trend: now, school districts across the USA opt for more visitor check-ins and more surveillance equipment- metal detectors should and will definitely be a part of that. The shooting at LA airport sent a new wave of fear throughout the nation: it is a reminder of the never ending process of perfecting the safety measures. This will surely have a direct impact on passenger screening, focusing on pre-checkpoint areas and improving the coordination between law enforcement and airport security. Metal detectors will, without a doubt, find their place here as well.

The tragic events of this year could, in a way, help in improving the safety in the future. Although safety measures are time consuming and sometimes tedious, they are absolutely necessary. Metal detectors could do a great deal for improving the safety, because they represent the most precise and efficient way for eliminating the risk of guns and other weapons. Before we live to see better gun control and strict laws that will reshape the whole spectrum, metal detectors are not only a safe bet- they are a necessity.