News broadcasts this week have been flooded by the reactions of the public and government officials at what seems to be a national problem which needs to be urgently addressed. Critical questions are being raised concerning the measures which can be taken on legal, psychological, and social levels to minimize the recurrence of such events. Clearly, a major problem is upon us which demands an all out effort to confront. An obvious technological measure which can be taken is to detect weapons before they are used. A simple metal detector probably could have prevented one or two of the events mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Metal detectors serve as a deterrent option.
Millions of persons are screened each day by metal detectors in airports. The number of weapons detected is minuscule but the number of persons discouraged from attempting to carry a weapon on a plane is probably quite large. Of course, there are numerous objections to using conventional metal detectors in many situations and these will be discussed shortly. Nonetheless, the usefulness of a simple metal detector should not be overlooked. Each of these triggers a degree of anxiety in ordinary persons and can be considered distasteful and undignified.