High Schools Deploy Body Scanners to Detect Guns

(TNS) — New, walk-through scanners meant to detect and deter hidden guns are up and running at Smith and High Point Central high schools.

Students going to summer school at Smith walked through for the first time Tuesday morning.

Akeyvion Millner, a rising junior, said he was surprised to discover the scanner when he came to school on Tuesday, but is happy the district is trying it.

“It’s about time they put scanners in,” he said, referencing stories he’s seen on the national news about students who committed shootings with guns they brought to school.

Millner said the scanner didn’t appear to be creating any additional line for students, beyond the wait they already have to scan their student IDs when they come in the building.

For now, this is a trial run. Guilford County Schools is borrowing these Evolv Express touchless body scanners before deciding whether to lease them for its traditional high schools across the district. Leaders expect that could cost between $750,000 and $1 million, per year, with the money to come from the district’s federal COVID-19 dollars. (This paragraph has been updated to correct an error, see correction at the bottom of the article).

Leaders are watching how the scanners work with students at summer school at the two schools. They are also holding two open houses, where community members, students and staff will have an opportunity to see the scanners and give feedback.

Those will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. today at Smith and from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at High Point Central.

“Really we want the community to come out and tell us what they think, tell us how they feel about it and a lot of our opinion will be based on that,” said Mike Richey , the district’s executive director of emergency management. “If the community is supportive of it, then we will probably go forward. If we do go forward, we would love to go forward fairly quickly, for the simple reason that any change goes much more smoothly when we put it in place before the school year comes.”

Correction: The $750,000 to $1 million potential price tag would be for the lease, not purchase, of the scanners.

Contact Jessie Pounds at 336-373-7002 and follow @JessiePounds on Twitter.

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