Fairfax schools considers weapons detection screening
Fairfax County Public Schools considers weapons detection screening
Another school district is considering setting up weapons detectors at entrances. This time, it’s Fairfax County Public Schools. The board of education says the pilot program would start at select high schools across the county. FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald has the story.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Another school district is considering setting up weapons detectors at entrances. This time, it’s Fairfax County Public Schools.
The board of education says the pilot program would start at select high schools across the county.
The school district hopes to pay for these weapons detectors by using millions of unused funds. The stated goal here is to keep weapons – guns, knives, and the like – out of school buildings by installing security scanning technology.
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid says different technologies are being looked at, and staffers are visiting other school districts that have security screening.
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Metal detectors will be installed at all Prince George's County high schools and some middle schools by the start of the new academic year in an attempt to reduce the number of weapons being brought onto campuses.
At a recent Fairfax County School Board meeting, members were told that staff has already been at work evaluating weapons detection systems in neighboring school districts.
"Really, all the divisions within our region are looking at technologies and software that are going to mitigate security risks, and the estimated implementation for what we’d consider for this "first intervention" is roughly a $3 million figure," Reid said.
If adopted, Fairfax County Public Schools would join a growing list of school systems across the DMV region – like Charles and Prince George's County, Maryland – that have turned to screeners as part of their security initiatives.