South Jersey high school to begin metal detector screenings, searches on students this year

CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J. - A high school in South Jersey is implementing new safety procedures ahead of the 2022-23 school year.

Pennsauken High School will begin using metal detector screenings and student searches to "keep our students, staff, and schools safe," according to an announcement by the school district.

The district says all students and visitors will be required to undergo a screening when entering the school, including all athletic and extracurricular activities. 

Prohibited items, including weapons, drug paraphernalia, controlled substances and vaping devices, will be confiscated. Students found with those items will be suspended immediately, and turned over to authorities if they refuse to leave the property.

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The school provided a detailed list of some prohibited items:

• Any weapon, including any knife, cutting instrument, cutting tool, nunchaku, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool
• Instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury, including but not limited to, sparklers, fireworks, smoke or stink bombs, explosives, live ammunition, chains, including wallet chains and bracelets
• Devices which are potential items of violence, certain rings, pipes or tubes, look-alike firearms and weapons (toy guns, knives), and any item which could or would be a threat to the students, himself/herself or the school community
• Anything dangerous, disruptive, or distracting is not allowed in school, to include any type of inhalant, such as non-edible, paint, markers, gasoline, mouthwashes and/or breath fresheners with alcohol content
• Matches, lighters, electronic cigarettes/cigars, hazardous chemicals, balloons, laser pointers
• Tobacco products of any kind
• Illegal drugs/substances
• Controlled substances
• All forms of marijuana use including traditional leaves, powdered leaves, hashish, tea, juice, tincture, honey butane oil, shatter, and wax
• Prescription drugs
• Alcoholic beverages of any kind

The district also announced that security officers, in addition to administrators school resource officers, will conduct searches on students.

"Students in Pennsauken Public Schools will not be subjected to harm or the use of controlled substances," they said.