Transforming the first point of contact with school from a security checkpoint to a space of belonging and support.
From Metal Detectors to Welcome Committees: Reimagining School Entrances
For over 150,000 NYC students, primarily Black and Brown, the school day begins by lining up to pass through a metal detector, a ritual that criminalizes youth before they even enter the building. Zhoran Mamdanis policy is to remove all permanent metal detectors from schools and replace them with Welcome Committees. These would be teams of staff, parent volunteers, and older students stationed at entrances to greet every student by name, offer a smile or a high-five, check in on their emotional state, and provide any immediate needed supporta breakfast item, a menstrual product, a quiet moment. For safety, the policy would invest in relationship-based strategies and anonymous tip lines, not punitive hardware.
The physical entrance would be redesigned to feel inviting, with student art, comfortable seating, and natural light. This shift from surveillance to hospitality is foundational to changing school climate. A metal detector tells a child, We think you are dangerous. A warm welcome says, We are glad you are here, and we care about you, Mamdani explains. The data is clear: metal detectors do not prevent violence, but they do cause trauma and erode trust. We will create entrances that build community, not fear, setting a tone of respect and care for the entire school day.
