Arkansas district demonstrates safety technology proposed for Wichita schools

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Because the Wichita college district plans safety enhancements at its excessive faculties, questions come concerning how the proposed new know-how works. On the Wichita college board’s subsequent assembly Monday, Sept. 12, the district will suggest the acquisition of 45 to 50 OpenGate units for $1.5 million.

CEIA, the corporate behind OpenGate, describes the weapons detection system as an “automated screening of individuals in transit, together with their baggage, backpacks, and luggage, for the detection of Mass Casualty Metallic Threats, equivalent to excessive caliber assault weapons and IED units.

Amongst college districts within the U.S. utilizing the OpenGate units is North Little Rock, Arkansas, consisting of 10 elementary faculties and 5 secondary faculties (on the middle-school and high-school ranges). A brand new a part of the morning for college kids at North Little Excessive Faculty is strolling by means of the OpenGate know-how, meant to detect weapons.

In Wichita, a difficult first couple weeks of college included the invention of 5 weapons at excessive faculties. However Wichita Public Colleges Director of Security Companies Terri Moses stated the district’s proposal for the added security measures just isn’t in response to the current points, however moderately one thing that the district has been taking a look at for fairly a while.

North Little Rock Faculty District Director of Safety Companies Chief Hayward Finks is the architect behind the safety employed in one in all Arkansas’ largest college districts.

“Across the nation, there’s been gun incidents within the faculties and we had been simply taking a look at a way to scale back or stop weapons from coming into the constructing earlier than now we have an issue,” Finks stated.

Three weeks into the college yr, including OpenGate has include some studying curves within the North Little Rock college district. The system requires college students to take out laptops and metallic water bottles. However not like a metallic detector, college students can stroll by means of with virtually all the things else of their backpacks and keys and cellphones of their pockets.

“Speaking to one in all our ninth graders and I stated, ‘hey, what do you consider OpenGate?’ And the very first thing they stated is, ‘I really feel quite a bit safer,’” North Little Rock Faculty District Superintendent Dr. Gregory Pilewski stated.

Dr. Pilewski stated in North Little Rock, they’ve had a youth gun violence situation and see OpenGate as a device to assist preserve the college a secure and comfy place to study.

“It’s on everyone’s thoughts about security and safety, and we’re simply attempting to do all the things,’ he stated.

The North Little Rock college district stated its seen the OpenGate know-how make a distinction already.

“We did have a pupil who had a toy weapon, and due to the OpenGate, he knew that we had these weapon detectors on the entrance doorways. He discarded the toy weapon earlier than he got here into the college, so not simply the true weapons,” Finks stated.

Copyright 2022 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please e mail information@kwch.com