What schools have weapon detectors?
West High School, East High School and Highland High School have weapon detectors that students will walk through when they enter the building. A “soft launch” of the detectors happened on Oct. 16 with the installation of the machine. They will be turned on starting Oct. 23. The Horizonte Instruction and Training Center will receive them later this fall.They are located at each of the schools’ entrances and run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the option to turn them on after school hours for events such as basketball games.
How do the machines work?
Using artificial intelligence, the machines scan for items resembling weapons. Multiple people can walk through at once to ease congestion. If the machine flags someone, that person is taken aside by an adult to check their bag.
What happens if a weapon is found?
If a student is found to be carrying a weapon, the school follows the standard district policy regarding weapons. The student would face suspension or expulsion. They would also be referred to the district of a “safe school hearing.”
How much did these detectors cost?
The district approved $1.44 million to lease the devices from Stone Security for four years, with the machines coming from Evolv Technology. An additional purchase order of $123,113 was approved to install the machines at Horizonte. The district also approved a $1.1 million purchase order for PalAmerican Security Inc. to staff the machines.
How effective are the weapons detectors?
There have been instances where the machines have failed to detect small weapons like knives. An Atlanta TV news station reported that the Evolv machines “failed to detect four out of every 10 knives during a 2021 field test.” A school district in New York phased out its Evolv machines in 2022 after they failed to detect a knife that led to a stabbing between two students. Neil Sandhoff, the vice president and head of education for Evolv, said that no security technology is 100% perfect at finding all weapons but Evolv’s system is focused on finding “mass casualty weapons” like firearms.
What other issues might arise from having weapons detectors?
There have been concerns regarding biases regarding race and gender. There are also concerns about how the machines could increase the stress in students. The Salt Lake City School District Board of Education will receive monthly demographic updates from the district, with numbers of the students stopped and a breakdown of race and gender.
