City officials placed a single metal detector in a Brooklyn school building the day after a student was busted with a loaded gun — and turned up 21 weapons in just one day, law-enforcement sources said.
The Department of Education installed the scanner in the complex housing the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice and two other schools in Downtown Brooklyn Thursday morning after the 17-year-old was nabbed there allegedly with a 9mm pistol and more than $30,000 in cash.
The school does not normally have a scanner in place. And Thursday’s surprise installation netted a varied arsenal — nine knives, seven cans of pepper spray, four stun guns and a pair of brass knuckles, sources said.
The 17-year-old had been busted a day earlier after showing up late for school at around noon and entering an office to log his attendance. A school staffer spotted what she thought was a pistol in his backpack and alerted school safety agents.
The student was detained until NYPD units arrived and allegedly discovered the gun and the cash in his possession.
There are a total of 1,000 kids in the Adams Street building, according to the DOE.
“Weapons of any kind have absolutely no place in our schools, and our outstanding school safety agents safely recovered these items during screenings, ensuring that all students and staff are safe,” said DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer.
“All protocols were followed, and school staff are following up with students regarding appropriate interventions.”
Greg Floyd, president of the school safety agents union, said he wasn’t surprised by Thursday’s weapons haul.
“Once again,” he said. “I ask the question: How many weapons are in our schools? We just don’t know. This is the tip of the iceberg.”
Floyd reiterated his opposition to calls for the removal of safety agents and metal detectors from schools. He has also said a lack of hiring has left schools understaffed with safety agents.
A building source said that an increasing number of students are bringing in weapons as a means of protection.
“A lot of these kids bring this stuff for self-defense,” she said. “It’s a shame that it’s come to that. But it’s the truth. Sometimes you see who is carrying in something or gets caught with something and you can’t believe it. They’re scared.”
While some city schools have detectors year round, others are only subject to random or temporary scanning.
Mayor de Blasio chose to increase unannounced scanning earlier this year after a rash of violent incidents and gun seizures in and around city schools.
