New Mexico school district launches ‘clear’ backpack initiative as safety measure

Five of Albuquerque Public Schools’ middle schools have implemented a new policy requiring all student backpacks to be clear, citing efforts to enhance safety and security.

“Clear backpacks will make it tougher for students to conceal things that they shouldn’t have, like weapons,” district superintendent Dr. Gabriella Blakey told KOAT News. 

To help families meet this requirement, the district provided thousands of free clear backpacks to students Jan. 6 after announcing the policy. 

“We have invested more than $60 million on fencing, cameras and alarms to access secure vestibules and other safety infrastructure at our schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Antonio Gonzales. “That includes installing commercial heavy-duty locks at all 6,900 classrooms in the district to allow staff to lock doors from inside.” 

In addition to the five middle schools, Del Norte High School will adopt a clear backpack policy in August, KOAT reported. 

‘Happening far too often’ 

As previously reported by The Lion, the district has seen an increase in students bringing firearms into schools. So far in the 2025-26 academic year, the district has confiscated 10 guns on school grounds compared to 14 guns in the 2024-25 academic year, according to KOAT. 

The 10 guns seized are a record number. The highest count at this point in the academic year had previously been six, the Albuquerque Journal explained. 

“It’s everybody’s worst nightmare,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. “There is nothing more dangerous than just the idea of a child on a school campus with a gun. And it’s happening far too often.” 

Bregman blamed social media for contributing to a “toxic mix” of gun glorification among youth. 

“Kids now see a gun as a trophy,” he explained. “They want to get that trophy. Then you mix it with social media. They sit there and pose with a gun like this, and they put it on social media, and they get some likes, and all of a sudden, they think that’s what makes them popular.” 

As a result, the district approved more than $4 million for installing weapons detection systems, which have received mixed reviews over effectiveness. 

“I know there’s a perception that metal detectors are a way to go to keep campuses safe. They are not foolproof there,” said Martin Salazar, the district’s senior director of communications. 

Indeed, he cited a situation at a high school in the Phoenix Union School District where a student – just two weeks after installation of a weapons detection system there – still managed to sneak a knife through a metal detector and fatally stab a classmate. 

Blakey emphasized different schools require customized safety measures based on local circumstances. 

“What one approach of clear backpacks might work really well for one school, for another school, it might be something different,” she told the media. 

“We are always working with the school principals and the schools and our police department to really tailor for specific schools what they need.”