School Safety Industry Grows Amid Rising Gun Violence Concerns

Grapevine, Texas — As school shootings continue to impact communities across the United States, a billion-dollar industry has emerged to promote safety in educational settings. In a recent demonstration outside the National School Safety Conference, drones designed to intercept potential shooters were showcased as part of innovative measures to protect students.

Justin Marston, CEO of Campus Guardian Angel, explained how their drones could be deployed during an active shooter situation. ‘We use drones to stop school shootings,’ he stated. The drones, which can shoot pepper balls at armed threats, represent just one of many products that schools can purchase for enhanced safety.

According to a report by the market research firm Omdia, the school security industry has grown to be worth approximately $4 billion and is projected to continue increasing. This growth follows a trend that began in earnest after the Columbine shooting in 1999, which marked the start of widespread purchases of security technology by school districts.

However, experts like Sonali Rajan from Everytown for Gun Safety caution that many of the safety products on the market lack proven effectiveness. ‘The challenge right now is that these school safety products, the vast majority, have absolutely no evidence guiding their effectiveness,’ Rajan said.

Among the items on display at the conference were panic buttons, bullet-resistant whiteboards, and even firearms. Tom McDermott, representative for CEIA USA, noted that the demand for metal detectors by schools has surged, changing the company’s customer base dramatically. ‘We need to solve this problem. It’s good for business, but we don’t need to be selling to schools,’ he remarked.

As these products gain popularity, some experts argue that a greater emphasis should be placed on mental health resources rather than solely focusing on physical deterrents. Jillian Peterson of the Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University emphasized that investing in counseling services could lead to better outcomes than spending billions on security products. ‘We’re spending billions of dollars that could be going to mental health or counselors,’ she stated.

Despite the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of these technologies, school resource officers like Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, stress the need for proper tools to handle crises. ‘When a shooting happens, we need whatever tools we can get,’ he said.

As communities grapple with the reality of gun violence in schools, the push for increased security continues, reflecting a broader anxiety about safety in educational environments.