The terrible aftermath of a gunman’s rampage at the Capitol leads one to question the effectiveness of a metal-detector environment as presently constituted. In this particular case, the gunman knew he would have to pass through the detector. He knew his gun would trip the alarm. This gives the gunman an automatic advantage over the guard, who doesn’t expect him to begin firing. Further the guard cannot impede the progress of the gunman who by now has run past the metal detector station because there is no barrier to keep him out.
What if the metal detector was part of a two-stage access system–anyone going through it would have to stop at a secondary entrance or small anteroom. The attending guard, once satisfied that the detector did not activate, could then allow the individual to enter the building. For the protection of the guard manning the metal detector station, he would ideally be housed behind a protective barrier, somewhat like an X-ray technician.
We cannot bring back the officers who so bravely confronted and tried to stop the killer from entering the Capitol. We can however, rethink the manner in which we set up a metal detector environment so it imparts greater protection to both guards and innocent bystanders.
