School Safety Tech: Finding the Right Weapon Detection System

School Shootings Spur Focus on Weapon Detection Tech

Another school shooting in the U.S., claiming three lives, has once again ignited the debate surrounding campus safety and security. In the quest to protect students and staff from active shooters, weapon detection technology is taking center stage. This article delves into the various weapon detection systems currently available and how to effectively evaluate them, drawing insights from a whitepaper published by the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS).

The Alarming Rise of Gun Violence in Schools

School violence is a global concern, but it is particularly acute in the U.S. In 2022 alone, 34 students and adults were killed, and over 43,000 children were exposed to gunfire in schools. In a recent incident on August 27, a gunman opened fire during morning mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, leaving two students dead before taking her own life. Several other students were injured.

Exploring the Landscape of Weapon Detection Technologies

These tragic events underscore the critical role of weapon detection in ensuring school safety. These technologies aim to identify individuals who may be carrying weapons. According to the PASS whitepaper, “What Is Weapons Detection,” the following types of weapon detection technologies are currently in use, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages in school settings:

Physical Weapon Detection: Primarily utilizing metal detectors, this method is often employed for initial screening at school entrances. Handheld wands may be used for secondary inspections. Metal detectors offer the benefit of high throughput, allowing students to pass through quickly, preventing long queues. However, they can produce false positives due to everyday items like laptops and have limitations in detecting non-metallic threats.

Brandished Weapon Detection: This technology leverages video analytics and AI to identify visible weapons through security cameras. It offers the advantage of rapid detection without requiring physical screening. However, it cannot detect concealed weapons, and image quality can be affected by camera placement, lighting, and resolution.

Gunshot Detection: This system employs acoustics and analytics to confirm the occurrence of gunfire and pinpoint the location of the shots. Generally reliable with few false positives, its main drawback is that it only activates after a gun has been fired.

X-ray Detection: By passing X-rays through bags or containers, this method measures how the rays are absorbed by different objects. While common in airports for detecting explosives and weapons, it is less practical for everyday use in schools.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Weapon Detection Systems

Thorough testing and evaluation are essential for successfully implementing weapon detection systems. The whitepaper emphasizes the importance of adopting specific testing methodologies when assessing these technologies. Here’s a summary of those methodologies:

When evaluating physical weapon detection systems, using real firearms is the preferred method, provided that appropriate safety precautions are in place and a law enforcement officer is present. It’s also important to test various weapon orientations and placements on the body to assess the system’s effectiveness.

For brandished weapon detection systems, replicas that mimic commonly used firearms, such as airsoft guns, are recommended. Testing should be conducted in various locations and distances from the cameras to determine the system’s detection range.

It’s also crucial to identify items that frequently trigger false alarms in physical weapon detection systems. “Common nuisance alarm items can include laptops, umbrellas, telescoping handles on rolling bags, hard eyeglass cases, and tin crayon/pencil cases. Testing is beneficial to better understand the process and personnel that will be required to operate the systems effectively. This will help establish additional needs, such as bag checks, using handheld wands for additional screening, or other concepts to prevent nuisance alarm items from passing through the detection system,” the paper states.

Integrating Weapon Detection with Existing Security Systems

Finally, the whitepaper emphasizes the importance of integrating weapon detection systems with other school security measures, such as video surveillance and access control, to enhance campus security.

“Unified systems address the difficulties of integrating technologies across different platforms and within the connected environment in which they reside. Properly implemented, a unified system eases integration of new components and allows a district to continue to evolve and expand,” the paper notes. “It is important for a school district to work with its integrator to ensure facility infrastructure can support any new technology as part of a unified system.”