School district to collect contraband in 'amnesty boxes'

BRIAN AGOSTO and Rafael Sanchez, two students enrolled in the welding program at the A. Philip Randolph Career & Technical High School in Nicetown, worked on a project this summer that they knew had a greater purpose.

The two, along with 25 other Randolph welders, built four 36-by-28-inch metal containers known as "amnesty boxes." The containers will be placed in four district high schools for the safe collection of contraband such as drugs or firearms.

The containers were featured during an event at the school, on Henry Avenue near Roberts, along with the school's partnership with locally based Airgas Inc. The district's head of safety, Chief Inspector Carl Holmes, Airgas chief executive officer Michael Molinini and other district and Airgas officials attended.

The boxes "make sure that objects that can hurt other people stay out of the wrong hands," said Sanchez, a junior from Juniata Park.

"I knew the purpose of it; pretty much to keep certain things away from high-school students," said Agosto, 18, who lives three houses from Sanchez. "I feel confident we built the boxes sturdy and they're going to do their job."

Holmes said the boxes would give students opportunities to rid themselves of contraband, avoiding arrest, before they reach their school's metal detector.

"We're trying to give students a second chance. They may have made a mistake, so we don't want to necessarily arrest them for that first mistake," Holmes said.

The district approached Randolph welding teacher Joe Williams about designing and producing the boxes, which are lined with Kevlar - a strong plastic often used for body armor - in case of an accidental discharge.

All the contraband will be cataloged and destroyed, with the help of Philadelphia police, unless the items are linked to a serious crime, the chief inspector said.

From mid-May to June 19, a Randolph-made box was placed at Sayre High School in West Philadelphia, a school then on the state's "persistently dangerous" list, but no contraband was collected, Holmes said. He said he believes the amnesty box acted as a deterrent.

Holmes said the decision as to where the four boxes would go, along with another two that are almost complete, won't be made until he looks at some statistics. He said that a number of factors would be considered.

The chief inspector expects to have boxes in different sections of the district. "I'd love to put two up in the Northeast, one or two in South Philly, several in Kensington," he said.

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