This article was originally published in Kaleidoscope‘s Spring 2025 print edition. It is being published as a separate online article now for easy access.
In October 2024, a Ward Melville student accidentally took their parent’s law enforcement bag to school. The student’s and parent’s backpack appeared similar, and they were next to each other. However, there was one significant difference: this bag had a gun in it. Members of the Three Village community were shocked at the idea that a gun was allowed into school premises so easily. As a result, a variety of reforms have been suggested to the Board of Education to enhance school security, with one of the most notable being to staff armed guards on school property. There are some members of the community who believe that armed guards will make students feel more safe in schools, while others argue that it will only cause more harm.
According to a survey conducted by Three Village of 41 Suffolk County school districts, nine school districts in Suffolk County have already staffed armed guards at their schools, though the district has not elaborated in detail on the survey. If Ward Melville were to follow these schools, it would already have many of the resources needed to do so. All security guards at Ward Melville have a law enforcement background, which means that they have also been previously trained to use weapons.
There are three potential options that Three Village could utilize: maintaining the status quo, only having armed guards outside the school, or having armed guards both inside and outside of school. Of the nine districts that currently staff armed guards, six of them only have armed guards outside of the school building, two have them inside, and one school district has armed guards both inside and outside of the schools. In the case that Ward Melville were to implement armed guards, it is not yet clear how many armed guards will be present, as the data has not been publicly disclosed.
In response to the October 2024 incident and the demand for further security protections, Three Village integrated new weapon detection technology onto existing security cameras. According to Jack Blaum, the Three Village Security Coordinator, the district installed the ZeroEyes platform into existing cameras, which uses AI to detect potential firearms. After a firearm is detected, it is sent to a ZeroEyes technician for a human to review before school and local authorities are notified.
In addition, some parents proposed that Three Village increase the number of mental health workers throughout the district to prevent someone from ever considering bringing a gun to school in the first place. However, other members of the community argue that prevention efforts such as mental health workers and upgraded security cameras will not help to fight against immediate threats, but armed guards will. At a February 2025 Board of Education meeting, one parent stated that the discomfort by the presence of armed guards is much safer than enduring “tragedies akin to Sandy Hook.”
On the other hand, there has been some community backlash to the idea of staffing armed guards in Three Village. In December 2024, hundreds of students, parents and community members signed a letter to the Board of Education urging them not to put armed guards in our schools. The letter cited data from the U.S. Department of Justice that found the mortality rate in schools was higher when armed guards were present. Additionally, the letter noted that the October 2024 incident was caused because a parent improperly stored their firearm and that there were other incidents on Long Island caused by parents irresponsibly storing their weapons, arguing that parental responsibility should be a top priority. Moreover, the letter encouraged the Board of Education to make the decision based on data available from other schools with armed guards rather than the feelings of the community.
In a public comment at the January 2025 Board of Education meeting, Shoshana Hershkowitz, who organized the December 2024 letter, argued that armed guards will not make our schools safer and will contribute to more harm. Hershkowitz included her experiences with relatives of victims from the Parkland High School shooting and explained her belief that Three Village should focus on keeping guns out of schools rather than bringing them in. Finally, Hershkowitz urged people to store their weapons safely and for the district to incorporate further preventative measures to impede guns from entering Three Village schools.
In June, the district sent parents a survey, asking “Are you in favor of arming guards in the district with the appropriate training?” That feedback will be considered as Three Village continues to weigh its options surrounding armed guards.
