For a WIP, Suppose a police officer responded to a call at a high school, walked in the front door and thru whatever alarm system was in place. What would happen when the alarm system detected the police officer's weapon(s)? Is there a way for the police officer to get in without setting off the alarm?
It is my understanding that an alarm system has someone at the metal detector, or other detection device. Therefore, I would suspect that that person would cancel the alarm and allow the officer to pass.
Generally, how the response looks like varies greatly based on WHERE your story takes place, and WHAT the call they're responding to told them. This goes all the way from simply rushing into the building, without a care for noise, right up to cutting the power to the building before entering it in full armor with cover on all sides.
Regarding the metal detector: AFAIK the most used model is the PD 6500i. It's "portable", so schools can move them around for events and such. It's also capable of being linked into a wireless network, so there's not necessarily someone standing next to it at all times. Especially after a call was made, chances are, the security is already at the scene. The machine can be remote controlled through the WiFi, so, if necessary, they can turn it off with a smarphone before walking through.
There are two ways to get past it:
1.) Press the "Off"-switch
That's a little tricky, because it's on the opposite side of the machine when you're about to walk into it.
2.) Pull/Cut the power plug
That's also a little tricky, because it's located on the top of the machine. It can be operated with a battery, but that would cost extra, so most schools don't.
2.) Pull/Cut the power plug
This is a US cop we are talking about. He would whip out his Glock and shoot the damned cable. Then he would Miranda the machine.
Worth noting that depending on the jurisdiction a police officer may not simply be allowed to run into a school building regardless of the situation.
There's a lot of very complicated interwoven laws involved, but generally speaking school administrators are legally responsible for attending children during certain hours of the day and the school grounds, while publicly funded, are functionally private property while school is in session. As such, a PO entering a school could be considered the same as entering a private home.
If they don't have the correct warrant and a good reason, they have no legal right to seek entry. The fact that school security are not police is irrelevant; police don't have an automatic power to go anywhere they want any time they want.
Not even close to an accurate legal description of what can and cannot be done.
Reason #1 why we joke that 99.999% of people who say "I know my rights" … usually DON'T.
("You have to get your supervisor out here!" is another illiterate claim by those types)
Schools are PUBLIC PROPERTY. Even most private schools, because they are not individually owned like a home or small business.
Even Fire/EMS responders don't need a "warrant" to enter public property if a 911 call has been initiated from the address.
The legality of "trespass" in MOST places is contingent on the INDIVIDUAL already being told they are not to be on the property.
Yes, this means the "first visit" someone makes to a property is NOT trespass.
(excepting various laws which stipulate using particularly worded signage… which is why I can legally walk right past the silly generic "red circle-slash over gun image" signs while carrying in many, many jurisdictions)
Imaginating a prohibition against law enforcement being able to enter public property is just silly.
In this particular day and age I don't think we should be writing about the intricacies of a school's security plan.
The particulars of response plans are not for public consumption.
That said…
There are no problems with law enforcement entering a school if there is a "call" for some incident.
Just take it for granted that the ability of responding officers to enter "unannounced" and "stealthily" has been thoroughly mitigated.
The body camera footage of the response to that mass murdering WOMAN in Nashville is readily available on many video platforms.
Just use what you see there as a basis for any stories.
...walked in the front door and thru whatever alarm system was in place.
Just for readability, can you actually spell out 'through' so readers don't think you misspelled 'threw' and believe he flipped a switch to sound an alarm?
-ZM
