There have been three gun-related incidents at New York City public schools this week alone.

Now, both parents and school safety agents themselves are raising concerns about metal detectors and security.

3 teens taken into custody after being found with guns

On Monday, a 17-year old was found in possession of a loaded gun at Harlem Renaissance school at about 10:15 a.m., police said. Less than an hour later, police said a 15-year-old was caught with a loaded gun at Long Island City High School in Queens.

On Wednesday, police said officers responded to a fight at P.S. 129 in Harlem, where they took a 14-year-old with a gun in his backpack into custody.

Sources told CBS News New York all three incidents occurred at schools without metal detectors.

In a statement, a representative for the Department of Education said:

"The incidents that occurred this week are unacceptable. Schools are places of learning, growth, and trust, and the presence of firearms fundamentally undermines these values. These events are a deeply troubling reminder of the broader challenges facing youth safety and well-being across our nation. This administration is committed to tackling this issue head on, through not only physical safety measures, but directly addressing the underlying mental health challenges that contribute to such incidents. As we continue to prioritize this work, we will have more to share, and we commend the outstanding school staff and NYPD school safety agents who worked to ensure the safety of all students this week."

"I'm sounding the alarm before something happens"

Gregory Floyd, the president of Local 237 Teamsters representing school safety agents, said the existing scanners catch guns, but not enough schools have them and other weapons, like scalpels that are mostly made of plastic, have gotten through, in some cases.

"Now, I don't want anyone to say, 'No one ever told me' or 'You didn't do enough' or 'You didn't say anything.' I'm sounding the alarm before something happens," he said. "We need scanning equipment that works. We need more bodies. We're down 2,000 school safety agents, and it's only getting worse."

"I don't think it should be in every school," Queens parent Andre Demetrius said. "I feel like if it's necessary, then it should be there."

"Going into the bank or, like, going into the airports, things like that should go in the school," parent Sylvester Ogbolu said. "I don't think it's too much, at least for the safety of the kids."

Parents who have concerns about their child's school and want to ask about adding scanners are urged to discuss it with the school principal first. Scanners require school approval prior to Department of Education and NYPD assessments.

Scanners have helped confiscate hundreds of weapons, NYPD says

In a statement, the NYPD said, "NYPD School Safety Agents work every day to protect both students and staff in schools. Our agents utilize a multi-layered process to identify, search, and stop weapons from entering schools through magnetometers, x-ray baggage machines, and scanners. The results are clear that our process is working."

The NYPD said between July 1, 2025, and Jan. 14, 2026, the scanners currently in the school system helped confiscate:

• Nine firearms,
• 58 Tasers and stun guns,
• 11 BB guns, 
• 1,059 knives, 
• 292 boxcutters and razors,
• And 605 other weapons.

The department also said the NYPD recovered 233 scalpels on school property in the same time period.

The 177 active scanners they say are in the system represent just a fraction of city schools, however.