A 7th grader in a Baltimore City school was arrested Monday for bringing a loaded gun to school, after having a fight with a staff member.
On Friday, a substitute teacher at Glen Burnie High School was arrested, after a loaded gun was found in his bag.
On Monday, a high school student at Sparrows Point High School in Baltimore County was arrested after being found with a loaded handgun on school grounds.
This all happened in our area in the past week alone. It's why many schools are adding new weapons detection technology in their schools.
It's a fine line between making sure students aren't bringing weapons into schools and making them feel like they're going through airport security every day.
A security company that says its struck a balance between the two, was recently tested in Baltimore City Public Schools.
It's called Evolv technology.
"The [schools] are looking for something that is a seamless way to enter the building each day, that's welcoming, that's inviting. We have attendance issues across this country right now. We want students to know we're happy they're there each day," said Evolv senior director of education, Jill Lemond.
Evolv says its system basically does what a TSA screening process can do, but without the hassle and invasiveness. You don't have to run your bag through a machine; you don't have to hold your arms up through a metal detector.
"While your items are concealed, you walk through - we call it - at the pace of life. You don't have to be single file. If you're holding someone's hand or walking with a group of friends, you can walk through naturally," Lemond said.
In Baltimore County, the superintendent announced at the start of the year it would be installing a system called Omnilert in all its schools.
The technology also uses A.I. to detect weapons - without students even knowing its there. The sensors are attached to existing security cameras, and monitor them 24/7. It has roots in department of defense technology. We reported on the technology when it was placed in Charles County Public Schools.
"If a weapon is detected by the system, an alert will be sent to designated BCPS, Baltimore County Police personnel and other security personnel within seconds," said Dr. Miriam Yarbrough at a press conference before the start of the school year.
Dr. Yarbrough said the rollout process for installing Omnilert would begin with the high schools.
It's not yet clear whether Baltimore City plans to adopt the Evolv technology after its trial run. We are scheduled to meet with a school administrator tomorrow - Friday.
The company has faced public scrutiny for alleged flaws, and has faced accusations of over-promising its ability to detect weapons. WMAR-2 News plans to report in-depth on this tomorrow - Friday evening.
