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Weapons detection at two urban hospitals
Harold K Simon1, Naghma S Khan, Carlos A Delgado
1Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital, Grady Healthcare System, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA. Hsimon@emory.edu
Insights
Weapons are confiscated from both general and children's hospitals, challenging the notion that pediatric facilities are low-risk. Metal detectors are crucial for security in all hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Hospital Security
- Forensic Science
Background:
- Urban hospitals face security challenges with weapon presence.
- Pediatric hospitals may be perceived as lower risk for weapon confiscation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and categorize weapons confiscated from an urban pediatric hospital and an affiliated general hospital.
- To assess the security risks in different hospital settings.
Main Methods:
- Prospective evaluation of confiscated weapons over an 8-month period (January 1, 2000 - August 31, 2000).
- Data collected from a general hospital and a freestanding children's hospital with common security personnel and protocols.
- Monitoring included the variety and scope of weapons after implementing weapons detectors at the children's hospital.
Main Results:
- A total of 3706 metallic weapons were confiscated.
- The general hospital had 3446 confiscated weapons, while the children's hospital had 260.
- Confiscated items included guns, knives, box cutters, scissors, chemical sprays, and tools, with significant numbers found at both institutions.
Conclusions:
- The study refutes the assumption that children's hospitals are at minimal risk for weapon presence.
- A substantial quantity of lethal concealed weapons were confiscated from both hospital types.
- Deterrent security measures, such as metal detectors, are vital for protecting patients and staff in all healthcare settings.
Objective:
To determine the type of weapons confiscated from an urban pediatric hospital and its affiliated general hospital.
Methods:
This was a prospective evaluation of weapons confiscated from individuals entering 2 affiliated urban hospitals: a general hospital with over 85,000 emergency department visits and a freestanding children's hospital with over 45,000 emergency department visits. The security personnel are common between the 2 hospitals and use similar confiscation protocols. The institutions were evaluated between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2000, which followed the implementation of weapons detectors at the children's hospital. The variety and scope of weapons confiscated were monitored.
Results:
During the 8 months, 3706 metallic weapons were confiscated. This included 3446 from the general hospital and 260 from the children's center. The weapons confiscated at the general hospital compared with the children's hospital included guns (4 vs. 0), knives (2048 vs. 114), box cutter/razors (596 vs. 37), scissors (70 vs. 53), chemical sprays (205 vs. 50), tools (73 vs. 6), and other (450 vs. 0).
Conclusions:
While more weapons were confiscated at the larger general hospital, the traditional sense that children's hospitals are at minimal risk is unjustified. The alarming number of lethal concealed weapons confiscated from both institutions demonstrates the importance of deterrent security measures, including the use of metal detectors to protect families and staff.