On Tuesday, the Daviess County Public Schools board heard from Jon Akers, executive director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety. He presented the board with research showing metal and weapon detectors to be ineffective deterring and preventing guns, knives or any other weapons from being brought inside schools.
Jared Revlett, public information officer for OPS, said he was not sure what studies Akers showed the DCPS board, but that the district conducted its own research before deciding to purchase the detectors.
"We wanted to go and see the detectors in use in different communities and school districts," he said. "We went to Gary, Indiana, and McCracken County and spoke to people who were actively using them."
Revlett said OPS has acknowledged the purchase and usage of the devices isn't an "end-all, be-all" decision.
"We know they won't prevent a mass shooting event," Revlett said. "They're not going to stop someone from committing a mass shooting."
However, the purchase was to ensure community members feel safe in OPS buildings or at district events, "knowing there are no weapons in the facility when they're there."
"When we began (using wands), some people decided not to come to events, and others would realize they still had things like pocket knives on them, so they'd put them back in their vehicles," Revlett said. "They make people think twice before entering a facility or attempting to if they have a weapon."
The OPS board approved the purchase of 10 OPENGATE detectors from Communications Technologies, Inc. for $169,313,90 during its March 9 luncheon.
The item was originally going to be discussed during the board meeting on March 23, but that changed after an Owensboro Middle School student was charged with bringing a loaded gun and knife to the campus on March 6.
Revlett said there is not a definitive date the district expects the detectors to arrive. But he anticipates it will be before the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year.
The detectors will be stationed at Owensboro Innovation and Emerson academies, Owensboro Middle, Owensboro High and iMiddle schools.
"It's a matter of ensuring people feel safe when in our buildings across the community," Revlett said. "There's enough happening in the community that when people go to an event, they want to feel safe."
Revlett said the district will "probably never reach a point" in which it is fully satisfied with where it is at, but that OPS is "constantly evolving."
"We still have other safety measures in place as well," he said. "This is just another layer of safety that OPS is adding to the district."
One issue Akers brought to the DCPS board Tuesday is the concern about bottle-necking. Bottle-necking causes a line outside of the school, which could place students in an unsafe situation.
In regards to the detectors OPS purchased, Revlett said they will not cause that issue. "That would be a concern," he said, "and we don't want to create a 'soft target.'"
©2023 the Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, Ky.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
