CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Chesterfield County middle and high schools are installing new weapons detection systems as students return to classrooms this month.
The OpenGate weapon scanners, selected after nearly a year of research and comparison with systems used in Richmond Public Schools, will greet students as they enter school buildings.
"There will be that transition period for students and it might even seem like a burden at first," Mathew Do, a Midlothian High School student, said. "I think eventually it will become routine and not much of a change."
The technology is reportedly more advanced than traditional metal detectors and designed to bypass most school-appropriate items, allowing for faster entry while still detecting potential weapons.
John Phillips from the Department of Constituent Services and Student Leadership said the system's efficiency was a key factor in its selection.
"It's not an end all be all, it is just an additional layer and the intent and design of these systems we feel like it's a worthy cause for our communities," Phillips said.
The tech comes after a previous school year of incidents where students made their way into school buildings with weapon including a stabbing at Meadowbrook High School last October.
Following that incident, then acting interim superintendent Dr. John Murray declared that the school division was committing installing new safety measures that would protect it's more than 64,000 students.
"Unfortunately, incidents such as these support the need to put any and all safety measures in place," Murray said last October.
How the system works
If the scanner detects a potential weapon when a student walks through, security staff will conduct a secondary search using a metal detecting wand to identify the object.
Midlothian High School Principal Shawn Able compared the experience to security measures already familiar to many students who goes to concerts or amusement parks.
"This is hopefully not a shock to anyone, but if it is we will walk them and help them feel at ease as we go through the first few days," Able said.
Who will be screened
Walking through the scanners will be mandatory for most students. However, individuals with county badges that provide building access will not be required to go through the screening process.
The school system has established additional protocols for situations where weapons are detected, involving school staff who will address any student found bringing a weapon to school.
School officials emphasized that the new system represents an additional security layer rather than a complete solution to school safety concerns.
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