Atlanta Public Schools plans to install more advanced weapons screeners in middle and high schools, a move aimed at making campuses safer.
The school board on Tuesday agreed to a one-year contract, estimated to cost $2.6 million, to purchase the machines. They will supplement the district’s existing metal detection equipment, which has been in use at all middle and high schools this school year.
APS police Chief Ronald Applin said the district aims to have the new system in place by January or sooner.
“It allows us to screen large numbers of groups of people at a faster rate,” he said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The new technology, similar to what’s used at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Lenox Square mall, is less intrusive than traditional metal detectors and won’t require school staff to search each student’s bag by hand. Applin expects it will reduce the amount of time students spend waiting in line to enter school buildings.
“One of the biggest complaints we get from schools is how long it takes,” he said.
The police chief said APS, like other metro Atlanta districts, has seen an uptick in the number of weapons brought to campus over the last year. Most of the guns recovered by APS are stolen, he said.
The new screeners will bring one more level of protection.
“It’s a layered approach,” Applin said. “One of many things that we’re trying to do to help create a more safe and secure environment.”
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