Upper Darby school board approves weapons detection system

A $1 million weapons detection system is coming to a Pennsylvania school district weeks after a gun scare at one of its high schools .

On Tuesday night, the Upper Darby school board unanimously approved a measure to install the new security systems at Upper Darby High School and Drexel Hill and Beverly Hills middle schools.

According to the school district, the open gate weapons detection system uses artificial intelligence to scan for any weapon.

Superintendent Daniel McGarry says students would walk between a set of metal poles, and if a student is carrying any compressed metal, an orange box would appear on the screen to alert security.

"On either side of that doorway, there is technology that will look for what images or the makeup of your body of what would appear to be a gun," McGarry said.

McGarry says objects such as Chromebooks, eyeglass cases, and umbrellas can set off the scanners, so he's urging students to remove them from their bags to shorten the line.

"One of those doorway systems can process approximately 2,000 individuals in 15-20 minutes," McGarry said.

McGarry said the weapons detection system is "not a metal detector." The superintendent said it's the same technology used at Lincoln Financial Field.

The proposal had been in the works for years, but it gained renewed interest after two recent firearms-related incidents in the district.

McGarry said a UDHS student brought a gun to school on Sept. 3, and then 10 days later, another student brought in an AR-15-style magazine.

Chevanne and Cynthia Avery sometimes worry about the safety of their son, a 10th grade Upper Darby High School student.

"I feel like they do have several lock-ins a year because they find weapons at school or things like that," Cynthia Jackson-Avery said. "Whatever it takes to protect our children, I'm all for it."

The security upgrade will cost the school district $1.1 million.

Some parents aren't happy, saying the system costs too much, and they're worried about their children's mental health.

"Nothing personal at all, right? But I am disappointed that you all rushed to make that decision," parent Michael Bente said during the board meeting.

Massachusetts-based security technology company Evolv makes the sensors, which can detect various weapons, from AR-15-style rifles and pipe gun to shotguns and handguns.

McGarry says if all goes according to plan, the new weapons detection system will be installed in four to six weeks.