The decision came after visiting schools with the devices, conducting research, and hearing from our public safety experts. These detectors use advanced sensors and imaging technology to distinguish between weapons and harmless metal objects, reducing false alarms and ensuring a higher level of detection accuracy. Additionally, they are portable to use at multiple locations and events.

Students, staff, and visitors will walk through two towers. If the towers turn green, the person can keep moving. If the system detects an item that could be a safety risk, the tower will beep and show a red light. The person would then step aside for secondary screening.

See one school system’s experience with the system:.

Trained school staff will conduct the screening process.

The person will go through a secondary screening where a staff member will examine the backpack and other belongings to determine what activated the alert. A hand-held metal detector may be used.

Regulation JCD-R(2) outlines Barrow County School System’s approach to student searches. This regulation will be modified in the coming days to incorporate new procedures with scanning and searches with the new technology. Staff and visitors can expect to be screened, although specific procedures related to that is in progress.  

• View Regulation JCD-R(2): Student Conduct - Student Code of Conduct

Everyone who enters a Barrow County School System high school should expect to be screened.

Everyone should expect to be screened unless staff members have pre-determined the person is unable to participate in the screening due to their disability.

Chromebooks, laptops, metal water bottles, and the metal spines of large notebooks may alert the detector. People will hand those items to a staff member standing outside of the device and then receive the item back once the person passes through.

Yes. Knives are included in the list of potential weapons the system is capable of detecting.

The system is capable of detecting vapes and similar devices.

It will vary. We encourage students to arrive 15 minutes earlier than they did prior to the device implementation. Many districts have said the entry time lessens each day as staff and students become better acquainted with the process.

The locations of the devices may also vary throughout a school each day.

Yes. The system is portable and will be used at school events on campus.

In keeping with FDA guidance on Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) and walk-through metal detectors, it is recommended visitors and system operators with implantable or wearable medical devices consult their device manufacturer or physician for information relating to their own specific device.

The technology does not use facial recognition. The system evaluates if items passing through could be a safety risk.