SCHOOLS in the north of the borough have installed metal detectors and scan-ners to check pupils for knives and guns.
Chelmsley Wood's Grace Academy, Archbishop Grimshaw Catholic School and Smith's Wood Sports College have had the tough security measures fitted along with the City Technology College in Kingshurst.
The temporary move is part of the 'Tooled Up 4 School' operation as part of West Midlands Police's 'One Knife One Life' campaign, run jointly with our sister paper, the Birmingham Mail.
The aim is to try to underline to 11-18-year-olds that violence doesn't pay.
Officers will also be giving out education packs, speaking to students and showing a hard hitting DVD centred around a fictional fatal stabbing and its devastating effect on family and friends.
Police said none of the schools involved had a specific weapons problems, but the aim was to raise awareness among students of the dangers of carrying weapons.
City Technology College's Lee Fletcher said: "This is clearly very topical, regrettably, with schools facing the spectre of increasing violence. I'm sure having the police there will give our headteacher food for thought as to possible new security measures."
Chief Superintendent Gordon Scobbie said: "We all want to make it culturally unacceptable to carry a knife. The education initiative is a crucial and major part of our overall strategy to tackle knife and violent crime.
"This innovative resource is already proven to engage children effectively, to get them thinking and talking about this important issue."
Coun Ken Meeson, Solihull's cabinet member for education and children's services, added: "It is vital that young people know the dangers of carrying a knife.
"So often we hear of tragedies involving knives, and although thankfully this hasn't happened in Solihull, we want to ensure that all our young people across the borough stay safe, and realise the terrible consequences of knife crime."
