ACPS board votes to move forward with weapon detection pilot program
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (7News) — Thousands of people had their say in whether weapons detectors would be installed in Alexandria City Public Schools.
"I know this is not an easy decision and it's controversial," said school board member Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi.
Despite the notion that the detectors are controversial, the results of the ACPS survey show community feedback highly in favor of giving the tech a chances, if it means safer schools.
"There's no need to bring up what happened a couple of weeks ago in one of the schools with a weapon, that a child had," said ACPS board member Willie F. Bailey, Sr. "Suppose that would have went the other way around and something happened in that school? The city would have been looking at us saying what did we do about it?"
READ ALSO: Alexandria City Public Schools debates installing screening technology to detect weapons
After Thursday night's vote approving a pilot program, the detectors will go starting in April.
The system is made by the company Evolv Technology. They said the touchless sensors make it unobtrusive and able to screen 60 people per minute. Overall, 85% of those surveyed were in favor of this extra security going in at least at some schools.
Of those surveyed:
- 58% were all in favor of the screeners.
- 27% said they would only support the technology going in at middle schools and high schools.
- 15% opposed the screeners outright.
With most in opposition saying the tech is too expensive, and that seeing the screeners would harm the welcoming feeling of schools.
“The entire city needs to understand it's about the safety of their kids not about the aesthetics, not what it looks like, and not what it costs," Bailey said.
The cost for the technology would be $60,000 for each affixed system unit and $13,000 for a mobile device.
