Albany Schools Reassess Security After Knife Incident

The Albany City School District is reevaluating its safety protocols after two students managed to bring knives into school, bypassing existing security measures. The incident occurred on Thursday (January 9), prompting the district to consider consulting a third party to enhance security practices. Currently, the district uses wands and metal detectors to screen for weapons and other dangerous items. However, it remains unclear how the students managed to get the knives past these security systems.

During the incident at Albany High School, a lockdown was initiated when a student brandished a knife during a confrontation with another student. School security and the Albany Police Department's school resource officer quickly intervened, preventing any injuries. The officer drew his gun as the student with the knife approached, but the student complied and was taken into custody without further incident. A second student was also found to have a knife, though it was not displayed during the confrontation. Both students are facing disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct, and the student with the knife was charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.

The district is investigating how the knives entered the school, working closely with Albany police. In response to the incident, Albany High School increased security measures on Friday (January 10). The district is considering reaching out to nearby Schenectady, which recently implemented metal detectors, to discuss weapon detection technology.

CBS6 Albany reports that the district previously used doors with alarms that often triggered randomly, causing disruptions. The district aims to find a balance between effective security and minimal classroom interruption.

Albany High School is offering support to students who wish to discuss the incident with social workers or school counselors. The district serves approximately 8,800 students across 16 schools, including Albany High School, which has a career and technical education center.