Do clear backpacks work? Dallas ISD sets new policy

DALLAS — The Dallas Independent School District would require sure college students – sixth-graders and up – to have clear or mesh backpacks for this upcoming faculty yr.

District officers mentioned the transfer was “one of several steps” they had been taking to make sure colleges had been secure.

And they don’t seem to be alone in doing so. School districts throughout Texas have been re-evaluating and upgrading their security measures in gentle of the mass capturing at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

But do the see-through backpacks work? 

Our fellow TEGNA station 11 Alive in Atlanta coated an analogous story this summer time, when the Clayton County School District additionally introduced will probably be requiring clear backpacks for college kids.

Here’s what 11 Alive discovered:

Are clear backpacks efficient in protecting weapons out of colleges?

No, clear backpacks haven’t confirmed to maintain weapons out of colleges.

“Clear bookbags are a well intended but relatively ineffective measure,” mentioned Dorn.

Our specialists defined clear bookbags are usually not efficient in protecting weapons out of colleges, and that in consequence, crime doesn’t essentially go down due to them.

“When it comes to crimes, clear bookbags probably weigh on the lower tier,” defined Johnson. “A research paper in 2016, discovered that SRO’s and clear bookbags had been related to the will increase at school violence.”

Both Hardy and Dorn defined they’ve witnessed college students bringing in weapons into colleges. Dorn even admitted to sneaking a weapon from seventh by senior yr.

“I carried a weapon undetected, because I was scared to death. I was attacked with a box cutter in my school. I’ve never in 20 years as a police officer, including the times I got shot at, I was never as afraid,” he mentioned.

The three sources mentioned that whereas the backpack could also be clear, college students nonetheless will have the ability to disguise weapons inside.

“You can still hide a weapon inside of a cut out book, inside of clothing,” Hardy defined.

“One of my older sons works with us and he did a video with a clear backpack, elementary school size, putting 26 weapons hidden in it, including a shotgun, 12 hand guns, and a hand grenade and knives. So the bookbag may be clear, but it’s pretty easy to students will hollow out a book and put the weapon in the book or other contraband. They’ll wrap the weapon in clothing or a tennis shoe,” Dorn added.

There’s an analogous video on Dorn’s non-profit page, displaying how simple it’s to cover weapons, no matter having a clear backpack or not. His group has labored with 8,500 Ok-12 colleges – together with many which have had energetic shooters – on easy methods to enhance their security measures.

“After the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, prior to us coming in, they had tried clear bookbags. The students very quickly proved to them that they could smuggle contraband in and, you know, the superintendent then reversed course and said, okay, we’re not going to require them,” Dorn recalled.

Meanwhile, Johnson mentioned that whereas clear bookbags may make you “feel” safer, you will not “be” safer.

“Would I bet the bank that clear bookbags will make a big dent in school safety? I wouldn’t bet on it too much because many of these things originate or spill over into the community,” he defined. “Even think about Buffalo, would a clear bag really have helped that? Absolutely not.”

Instead, they are saying there needs to be a multi-faceted method. More efficient measures, embrace faculty security groups and locking doorways.

“Keep the perimeter doors locked, and keep our classroom doors locked when we’re inside. I understand the inconvenience there. But it might save a life someday,” Hardy mentioned.

Surveillance video launched this week of the Uvalde school shooting exhibits the gunman strolling by the unlocked doorways, with the gun in his hand.

RELATED: What the unreleased surveillance video of the Uvalde faculty capturing exhibits

Other vital options embrace scholar supervision and requiring a gown code.

“The most important thing there is the beltline is visible, so you can’t conceal a weapon,” added Dorn.

Some faculty districts are additionally contemplating metallic detectors to attempt to preserve youngsters secure. 

However, the specialists 11Alive talked to mentioned that will not work very effectively both, particularly in colleges with many college students as a result of it is a gradual course of. They’re additionally costly.

The specialists mentioned it is all about what you do internally inside the faculty, not essentially the fabric insurance policies, that can change the scholar atmosphere.

“When I see schools that still have lead paint, I see schools that have deteriorating facilities, those things are far worse and have a far more negative impact on safety and health than the positive impacts you would get put in an SRO, or putting in a camera metal detection, or even having clear bookbag policies,” Johnson added.