Guns and Knives at Local Schools: Reports Dipped Slightly in Richland, Higher at Other Districts

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By Troy Barrett

Summary

Action News uncovered the weapons reports to tell you what's been found at districts in the Tri-Cities. Numbers dipped in Richland while weapons reports went up slightly in Kennewick and Pasco.

Story Published: Feb 5, 2010 at 6:53 PM PST

RICHLAND, WA -- Action News uncovered state weapons reports to tell you what's been found at districts in the Tri-Cities. Latest numbers from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) found weapons incidents dipped in the Richland School District while they went up slightly in Kennewick and Pasco.

We sat down with Richland teachers to get a glimpse of what one local school is doing to cutback on dangerous weapons in the hallways. Administrators credit safer schools to impromptu drills at campuses across the area.

"We've become quite a lot better, particularly in the last one to two years. Our drills have come quite realistic," Mike Carlson said, Dean of Students at Rivers Edge High School.

The Richland School District reported the lowest count of weapons reported on campus for all three districts: 40 for the 08-09 school year. Three-dozen of those reports involved knives.

While the total incidents are lowest last year, more knives were found in Richland last year than in the last five years. A few students told Action News that some students use switch blades to show off. Administrators agree.

"Weapons might come into a campus for showing off, might come from the fact that someone has fear for their safety," Carlson said.

When staff doesn't find knives during drills, teachers rely on students to step up. Despite the incidence of knives, not a single gun was reported in Richland since a notorious incident two years ago. The district made changes after it seemed administrators didn't take a gun report seriously at Richland High.

Kennewick reported 58 incidents of weapons, 40 of which were knives.

Pasco was close behind with 52 incidents and 39 knife reports, both districts citing numbers that were nearly the same as recent years.

Those numbers are still little comfort to at least one mom, Nina Powers. She grew more nervous about violence after national school shootings, including the massacre at Virginia Tech where her nephew was a student.

"Through that experience and research, I grew more and more convinced that I wanted private school for my children."

Now all seven kids go private school at Tri-Cities Prep, where she also teaches.

"I feel safer," Powers said.

Public school administrators still say many parents are pleased with drills and stepped up police presence to keep school safe for your students.

Kennewick does have the highest numbers in Benton County but we wanted to put that in perspective for you. While 58 reported weapons seems like a lot in Kennewick, the Yakima school district had more than 100 last year.