DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools leaders met Tuesday afternoon to discuss a multimillion-dollar proposal to purchase and install weapons detectors in all district high schools.
The board gave a thumbs up to the proposal -- and the detectors could be installed and operative within the next six months. In addition to high schools, Maddie Rutherford Middle School will also receive detectors.
It comes as school districts across the country re-evaluate security infrastructure in the wake of the deadly mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.
According to the proposal that was presented to the board, it will cost the district about $7 million, which would be paid over five years in payments of about $1.7 million dollars per year.
When we say weapons detectors – you might be thinking of the devices you have to pass through. But the devices that were proposed are from a company called Evolv Technology, and they are seamless and contactless.
“It draws a box around the area. We’ll know the exact area where something is found without having to wand a person’s body and have them take their backpack off,” explained DCPS Police Chief Greg Burton.
Take a look below at the promotional video from the company’s website. You can see they’re more like the scanners that you walk through to get into a Walmart.
They don’t look like they’ll slow down the start of a school day at all.
Right now, schools will sometimes use hand-held and walkthrough detectors, but those screenings require a lot of staff and a lot of time to do things like bag checks.
According to the district, these detectors will:
- Cut down on security false alarms from around 40% to less than 10%
- Eliminate security lines
- Not sacrifice any safety and security.