MCPS leaders discuss increased school security, possible metal detectors
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - In Montgomery County, school leaders are shedding light on new security measures being undertaken this 2024-2025 school year, with Montgomery County Public Schools in its second week. This includes active research in bringing metal detectors to the state’s largest public school system.
The details came in a Wednesday virtual news conference with reporters. Sadly, just hours after that news conference, news broke of a deadly school shooting in Georgia.
Montgomery County has had its own serious school incidents these past few years, including students being arrested for bringing guns to school or making threats. The first shooting inside a county public school nearly killed a Magruder High School student in 2022.
Former county police chief Marcus Jones, who is now MCPS’ Security and Compliance Chief, said on Wednesday they are in the "early stages" of researching metal detectors. Jones revealed they’re talking with school districts that already have the security tool to see what their experiences have been like.
Officials warned that this is something that will have to be budgeted for. They’ll also have to review how to build the use of metal detectors into the school day, especially at the county’s larger high schools.
Another major part of the safety conversation includes security staff and clamping down on drug use on MCPS campuses.
Montgomery County Police Acting Assistant Chief David McBain confirmed this school year, MCPS has 21 "CEO’s" or Community Engagement Officers. CEOs are MCPS’ version of School Resource Officers.
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McBain told reporters they’re actively hiring for their 22nd CEO position. This would be for Poolesville High School.
The Acting Assistant Chief said this school year, the CEO’s will have an office at each county high school. He made clear they will not be patrolling the hallways but making sure they’re available to students and staff.
Another county leader says MCPS now has 286 security staff members working across MCPS’ more than 200 schools and that this is a 10% increase over the last two years.
Jones described more of the plan as, "…being visible in our hallways, much more than we have in the past … doing more bathroom checks in the past. Also in the world where vape detectors are installed, that will assist us with the usage problem we're having with some of our schools."
MCPS started a pilot vape detector program last year that officials say they are looking to expand.
"I think the overwhelming positive thing that we have going for us this year is communication. We’ve met with MCPS, with Marcus, with Superintendent Taylor — we’re on the same playing field. We are understanding what each of our roles are in the public schools system and we’re coordinating our efforts to just provide a safe school year for our kids," said Acting Assistant Chief McBain.
Jones also spoke to making sure this year, the school system is working more closely with police to ensure better intelligence sharing on what may be going on in the neighborhoods surrounding the county’s schools.