Baltimore City high schools will begin using AI technology to scan students for weapons, according to a letter sent to families by district operations leaders on Wednesday.
According to a copy obtained by WYPR, the district expects to roll out the new Evolv technology to all high schools over the next 30 days – starting on Monday. The letter warns students to “anticipate some potential delays” as implementation begins.
“This new system will add an additional layer of safety protection for the school community by enhancing our ability to screen for potentially dangerous weapons,” the letter says. “During the rollout, the use of the scanners will significantly change the morning arrival and screening process for students.”
Every city high school currently uses a traditional metal detector to scan students as they enter. The letter says that city officials expect the new system to “increase the efficiency of our building entry process over the long term.”
Unlike traditional detectors, Evolv scans for the specific metal density and shape of weapons to cut down on false alarms and wait times. That’s why the district originally decided to trial-run the system at six city schools last year.
But Wednesday’s letter still says students have to remove items from their bags – like laptops, binders and umbrellas – before entering the building.
“Is there really a point to scanning students if they're taking out like two thirds of the items of their bag anyways?” said Ethan Eblaghie, a senior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. “If we kept the current metal detectors and had students pulling out those items, would there really be a statistically significant difference in terms of timing?”
During the trial run, Evolv sent over 17 thousand alerts. Only ten of those cases actually resulted in a weapon being found.
Eblaghie said implementing the new system during final and AP exams will only cause more unnecessary stress.
“Students are going to have 8 a.m. exams at schools across the city,” he said. “They could have implemented this change at any time. They could have done it a month ago, or they could have waited until the start of next school year. I don't know why they chose to do it right at this time.”
Eblaghie said he’s opposed to all weapons detection systems, because they’re often too invasive – and don’t accommodate all students.
“There's a lot of students that have, for example, metal braces that, in certain settings of the system, can set it off,” he said.
Eblaghie says students in the city are “really split” on how they feel about metal detectors and other systems. But they’re united in a common feeling that schools aren’t safe enough.
In October, Communications Director André Riley told WYPR that 57% of students and 91% of staff surveyed by the district at the six trial-run schools reported feeling safer with Evolv technology.
Eblaghie thinks building structure is a bigger issue. For example, he said, not all schools have doors that can lock.
“School safety is something a lot of students think the district is just not doing adequately enough,” he said. “But I think there's far less of a consensus on what the best solution is.”
