LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tuesday, community members and school employees got the chance to test one of the weapons detection systems Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is considering installing in schools.
Company representatives from Evolv demonstrated how their weapons detection system detects concealed threats -- like firearms and explosive devices -- as people passed through the machine.
They then send images to a nearby tablet. It would be up to a staff member to pull that person aside for a separate search if something is detected.
At Butler High School Tuesday morning, a small group of school administrators and staff came out to see the devices for themselves.
Knight Middle School Principal Christel Lanier said she wanted to make sure the devices were mobile.
"Because we probably won't have multiple devices," she said. "When you look at a campus like here at Butler, where you have multiple buildings, that might cause different challenges.”
Other visitors asked about the sensitivity of the machines and how they alert staff to potential threats.
JCPS has previously said weapons detection systems are different from traditional metal detectors in that they use artificial intelligence to look for shapes instead of scanning for metal.
Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio has said the system is designed to scan about 1,800 people per hour.
“What we don’t want is students coming into the building and having a hassle to start the day," Lanier said. "We want this to be a seamless transition into school so it doesn’t interrupt the flow of our day.”
Evolv is currently in more than 450 schools, across 30 states — including Kentucky.
JCPS leaders have said they are accepting proposals from other companies, but they have to move fast with a goal of installing weapon detection systems in more than a dozen high schools by the beginning of next year.
There were two community availabilities to view Evolv's machines at Butler, from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.