I WAS disturbed to read that knife arches will be installed in all of our secondary schools (‘Weapons detectors installed in school’, Guardian, April 30).

Surely this risks giving children the message that we expect them to carry knives?

The cost of staffing the arches and installing them is also of concern.

It would be much more effective if the police spent more time walking the estates, getting to know the young people and building a relationship with them, rather than just searching children for knives, the majority of whom are not troublemakers.

Andrew Harris, High Road, Leytonstone