AUSTIN (KXAN) — Manor Independent School District started the school year with a few new safety devices aimed at stopping violence inside the high schools.
The new technology works like a metal detector, but this device can pinpoint guns, knives and other weapons.
“We did have a tragedy a year ago, obviously in the district, and we always want to improve our safety,” said Manor ISD Superintendent Robert Sormani.
Last October, an 18-year-old student was charged with murder after a fellow Manor Senior High School student died from a stabbing.
“In talking with our community, we said ‘you know maybe there is something we can do that is more,'” Sormani said.
Sormani says the district has a contract with Xtract One Technologies who helped install the devices which scan people as they walk through.
Right now the devices can be found in Manor High School and Manor New Tech High School, but the district says they are looking at possibly adding more in the future.
“One of the nice things about contracting with this company is they do have a new system coming out that uses AI to know what a cell phone is so it won’t hit on those items that don’t need to hit,” Sormani said.
Manor ISD said so far they have not found any weapons on anyone entering the high schools.
Manor New Tech High School Principal Bobby Garcia said with this being a new system there can be some hiccups, but overall it has improved safety.
“On one hand it is a little more reassuring because we have never had this level of safety and security coming into our school. On the other hand it is a little bit heartbreaking,” said Garcia.
How does it work?
Manor ISD has the devices set up at entrances and uses district staff to go through bags and monitor the system.
There can be false positives and if that happens then staff will search bags. But so far there have been no weapons found, according to the district.
If someone walks through with a gun, knife or something that resembles a weapon, the person monitoring the system gets an alert.
“On their tablet they are getting a lot more detail, and specifically on the location on the body,” said Xtract One CEO Peter Evans.
Evans said past metal detectors take time and can cause long lines, but this new technology allows people to get through quickly — and it’s safe.
“One of our schools has 66 kids per minute walking through it as if there was nothing there,” Evans said.
The devices are used in a number of schools, businesses and even at the Moody Center.
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