In the first year they were used, weapon detection scanners deterred students from bringing weapons and vapes on campus, Prince William County Public Schools reported, and their use will now be expanded to some sporting events.
During the 2023-24 year, the first with Evolv scanners in all middle and high schools, there weren’t any guns brought into schools, a school district spokeswoman said.
In May 2023, the school board in Virginia’s second-largest school division approved a plan to install the screeners in middle and high schools, including both traditional and nontraditional schools. At the time, the division said it planned to use the equipment over four years, which it anticipated would cost about $10.7 million.
As the school division contemplated the plan, critics argued they weren’t a necessary expense and would make entering a school feel similar to walking into a prison. A year later, some are praising the technology for keeping schools safe.
“I recognize that school is far different for my daughter, as a soon-to-be 13-year-old, than it was for me,” parent Alexis Hackett said. “As a parent, I have a lot of things to worry about in her day-to-day, and it’s one less thing that I feel like I have to worry about that helps me feel a little bit more secure as she goes to school.”
Now, in the second school year with the screeners, the school division is planning to use them at varsity basketball and football home games.
“It’s a great thing, because there have been things that have happened at these games,” Hackett said.
The process proved to be quick for most kids last year, as 93% of students passed through the system without needing to be searched, the spokeswoman said.
The Evolv scanners use artificial intelligence and sensors to detect knives, guns and other weapons. Students just remove their laptops while they’re passing through, and an alarm sounds if the system detects something that appears dangerous.
Hackett described the process as smoother than she expected it to be, and that lines to enter the school never seemed unreasonably long. There was only one day, when her daughter had cleats in her bag, that she set the alarm off, Hackett said.
The detectors have also deterred students from bringing vapes into school, the county said. Vaping is down 22%, and other weapons are down 72%, the spokeswoman said.
“While the safety screening technology isn’t infallible, it adds an extra layer of protection alongside our school security officers, school resource officers, and other security protocols,” the county said in a statement. “PWCS is committed to ensuring our facilities are safe, welcoming and sustainable. The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority.”
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