Arizona High School Installs Weapons Detection, Finds Gun 20 Minutes Later

The high rate of gun violence in America has prompted many K-12 school districts to adopt weapons detection technology. Here's rundown of some of the latest installations.
Published: October 7, 2024

Installing weapons detectors or metal detectors at schools has historically been quite controversial. The arguments for weapons detection are pretty obvious: this equipment enables schools to find and confiscate guns, knives, and other weapons. Many proponents of these detection devices also say they deter violence and bolster perceptions that a campus is safe.

However, critics of these screening systems in schools argue the equipment sends the wrong message and discriminate against students of color. The cost of purchasing, running, and maintaining this technology is another major factor, with critics saying the money dedicated to weapons detection should instead be used for things like student mental health services.

Related Article: Salt Lake City Schools Won’t Hire Staff to Operate Weapons Detectors

Despite the reservations of critics, the high rate of gun violence in America has prompted many K-12 school districts to make the investment in weapons detection. More than half of the K-12 respondents to Campus Safety’s 2024 Weapons, Metal, and Gunshot Detection Survey said their campuses use sensors in walk-through or hand-held detectors, and 24% use video to help them screen for guns, knives, and other weapons.

Mesa High School in Arizona recently installed a weapons detection system, only to have it find a gun in a student’s backpack a mere 20 minutes after the installation was completed, reports 12News.

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“He didn’t resist and when he opened it up, I saw the look on his face, and then I looked in there and the school resource officer saw the look on my face,” Mesa High School Director of School Safety and Security Allen Moore told the news station. “Next thing you know, they placed the kid into custody immediately.”

School Districts Across the Nation Implementing Weapons Detection Technology

Mesa High was just one of many K-12 campuses in Maricopa County that have bolstered security measures. At least 114 firearms have been found on school campuses in the county since 2019, and 12News speculates the actual number is much higher because Arizona doesn’t track the number of gun seizures at schools.

It’s not just Arizona that is implementing weapons detection. In New York, the Schenectady Board of Education has just approved a resolution to provide weapons detection measures for the district’s schools, reports News10. The Greater Amsterdam School District already used metal detectors and recently made some upgrades.

Related Article: 9 Tips for Choosing the Right AI-Powered Gun Detection System for Your School

In Connecticut, the Consolidated School District of New Britain is surveying residents about the installation of metal detectors on campus, reports Fox61.

In Pennsylvania, the district in Upper Darby Township recently approved the use of weapons detection systems at its high schools and middle schools, reports Fox29. The cost to install the systems will be more than $1 million, reports CBS News.

In Georgia, Gwinnett County Public Schools just introduced a new weapons detection system for its football games, reports the Gwinnett Daily Post.

In North Carolina, Cumberland County will be installing a non-invasive weapons detection system at all of its middle schools and high schools, reports WRAL. The equipment will be set up at entrances for daily screenings, as well as at athletic events and other events that draw large crows.

Webinar: Key Considerations for Deploying Weapons Detection in Healthcare, Higher Education, and Schools

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