Pinellas County Schools launched advanced weapons detection systems Tuesday at two high schools.
Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg and Palm Harbor University High School, in Palm Harbor, were selected as pilot program locations, based on the size of their campuses and the number of students and staff at each.
The walk-through detection systems, Evolv and Opengate, have been temporarily installed in high traffic areas, including morning arrivals and large school events. Shoes and/or belts don’t have to be removed.
“The systems we are piloting are common in many public events, theme parks, concerts and sporting events,” Gibbs Principal Barry Brown explained in a video provided by PCS.
“Unlike traditional metal detectors, individuals do not need to remove most items from their pockets or backpacks before passing through the system. However, binders, laptops, umbrellas and eyeglass cases may need to be removed from backpacks and handed to staff members to help prevent false alarms.”
The pilot program will end May 29.
“The last thing I want, the last thing our team wants, the superintendent of the board, is to make it feel like a prison,” Sean Jowell, PCS Director of Safety and Security, told the media Monday. “We don’t want that.”
The systems, which are already in use in Manatee and Sarasota counties, are “non-intrusive,” Jowell insisted. “If something does alert to it, if it’s a bag, we’re just going to do a bag check like we normally do. And we’re allowed to do bag checks on our campuses.”
School administrators, PCS Police, District Safety and Security and local law enforcement partners will oversee implementation at each campus.
“The district will utilize information from this pilot to inform future decisions and implementation,” said Chief of Schools Police Joe Weisman.
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