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Committee hears update on weapons-detection rollout; district reports 71,084 alerts since December
Summary
Superintendent and safety staff reported the weapons-detection system, installed Dec. 11, 2024, has screened roughly 728,350 visitors and logged 71,084 alerts (mostly benign). Staff said false-positive rates have fallen from 15–20% at rollout to about 8% on average and outlined training, mental-health supports and upcoming hardware costs for panic buttons.
Superintendent-level staff and the district's director of public safety briefed the Education and People Services Committee on May 20 about safety procedures and the weapons-detection system installed across Upper Darby secondary and event sites.
Dr. McGarry and Anthony Vaughn said the district implemented the system on Dec. 11, 2024, and that detection units are in the high school (nine), the stadium (one) and at two secondary schools. Since deployment, staff reported about 728,350 visitors were screened and 71,084 alerts occurred; officials said most alerts were triggered by benign items such as laptops, umbrellas, Chromebooks and eyeglass cases, though some unsafe items—including knives, box cutters and pepper spray—were found.
"We were worried about having to search north of 300 to 400 kids a day," Dr. McGarry said, crediting student-produced videos and staff processes for faster throughput. Staff reported screening lines now typically move students through in about 10–15 minutes at peak efficiency.
Board members questioned false-positive rates and trend lines. Staff characterized early post-installation alert rates as between 15 and 20 percent and said the rate has improved to roughly 8 percent district-wide in secondary schools, attributing gains to better communication with students and operational tweaks. Staff cautioned that conditions such as rainy days, late arrivals or special events can increase alert counts temporarily.
The presentation also covered related safety systems. Staff said the county's DellPass panic-button hardware is nearing end of life and that any replacement hardware tied into county CAD systems (one vendor cited was Alertus) would likely cost about $3,700–$4,000 per button plus annual software costs; the county would no longer automatically cover hardware expenses. Staff described CrisisGo as the district's active communications platform that provides real-time back-channel messaging with law enforcement, roster and rally-point functions.
Finally, staff described a positive pilot of a new digital hall-pass system (SmartPass) and highlighted expanded youth mental-health-first-aid training for hall monitors, counselors and police liaisons. On discipline, staff said responses to vaping and paraphernalia now emphasize intervention—student assistance program referrals, counseling and targeted supports—while police involvement occurs where warranted.
No formal action was taken; staff will return with updates and cost estimates as procurement decisions move forward.
