HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A national school safety expert is weighing in on Henrico County Public School leaning toward weapons detectors as part of its school safety and security plan.
Administrators said during a school board meeting Thursday that field tests at six school found those devices more effective than metal detectors.
Surveys found 50-70% of students, families and staff supported the board spending money on the technology, according to data the district shared with the school board. Additionally, 30% of those surveyed also reported the devices had a positive impact on their mental health.
“We want to get it right," Superintendent Dr. Amy Cashwell said. "We want to make sure, if the board decides to move forward, that we do it well."
Weapons detectors are similar to metal detectors in that you walk through them, but they are different for two major reasons.
Large groups of people can walk through them at the same time, and they only go off for dense metals.
RELATED: Why Henrico will likely opt for weapons detectors over metal detectors in schoolsWeapons Detector
Mac Hardy, the director of operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers, speaks with schools across the country about different safety implementation strategies. He believes weapons detectors are a step in the process of keeping schools safe.
But he said that having trained staff is what is critical to weapons detectors success, especially if they know what to do when the detectors go off.
“You need to have a well-managed plan to deal with situations that occur to make sure that you’re covering all of your bases," Hardy said. "We do believe in these situations if they do occur.. we would want to have a school resource officer on hand to assist school personal."
The school board feels getting that staffing is critical before they vote on the detectors. As a result. leaders want the district to look into stipends for additional school security officers.
But Hardy and administrators said families must realize detectors are not the sole solution. They are just one component and families can keep students safe by building positive relationships, among other layered approaches.
That is why officials are calling for parents and the community to speak to students about school safety.
"We need our families to communicate real consequences for bringing weapons, making threats," school board member Marcie Shea said.
The board will continue to get updates from the district regarding their plan for staffing and pricing. And then they hope to vote by June on whether to implement the new systems.
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