Community members urge Cumberland County Schools to pair metal detectors with staff and other security measures

Multiple speakers at the Cumberland County Board of Education’s public forum on Oct. 29 said the district’s recent investments in metal detectors have not produced the intended safety improvements because detectors are not consistently staffed or paired with trained personnel to confiscate weapons.

“Last year, I took hours out of my day to compile emails stating problems…things didn't get better,” said Cynthia Lee, a former Cumberland County Schools second-grade teacher, who told the board she filed a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction alleging the district is out of compliance with student-identification timelines. “You all wasted millions of dollars by installing metal…