Union Leader: Don't Remove Metal Detectors From NYC Schools

NEW YORK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- One union leader representing school safety officers is sounding a warning bell against a plan to remove metal detectors from New York City Schools.

Gregory Floyd of Teamsters Local 237 said that metal detectors used in schools serve as an effective deterrent for children seeking to bring weapons into the classroom, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.

"If we remove these metal detectors, we would have no tools to find out which children are carrying weapons and which children are the most dangerous," Floyd said.

Floyd also warned that the removal of metal detectors, which are currently being used in 80 schools, could potentially lead to more violence, citing students' use of social media and cell phones to communicate and potentially coordinate their actions.

"If metal detectors are removed, the children would go on social media, they will know when to bring their weapons, where to bring their weapons, they will find their way into the schools and there will be anarchy," Floyd said.

In September, the New York City Council passed a bill mandating that school systems disclose how many students must pass through metal detectors to get to school. The bill was an amendment to the Student Safety Act, which passed in 2011.

A Department of Education is considering a reevaluation of the placement of the devices.

A report from a mayoral committee advises an evaluation and flexibility depending on school need.