PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — At a workshop on Tuesday, the Pinellas County School Board is looking into a new way to enhance physical safety in schools.
That’s by implementing the use of advanced weapons detection systems.
WATCH full report by Larissa Scott
Due to recent developments in technology, district documents show that it would be a non-invasive screening tool.
This kind of system would combine technology and artificial intelligence to detect concealed weapons without requiring students and staff to empty their pockets or bags.
Tampa Bay 28 asked Christie Bruner, who has two kids currently in the Pinellas County School system, what she thinks about this program as a parent.
She told Tampa Bay 28 that she’s interested to learn more but has some concerns.
“I would want to make sure that it’s not anything that’s more restrictive or burdensome or awkward for the kids to have to go through and have long lines or screening or anything like that,” said Bruner.
At Tuesday’s workshop, board members will discuss conducting a pilot of two weapons detection systems at the district level and at two high schools to see if this kind of screening meets district needs.
Potential timeline:
- November-December 2025:
- Begin district-level training
- System testing
- Select schools for pilot
- January-February 2026:
- Deploy systems at district events/meetings
- Train school staff at pilot schools
- Stakeholder engagement and communication at pilot schools
- March-May 2026:
- Implement systems at pilot schools
- Gather feedback
After the spring pilot, a recommendation will be brought to the board regarding future use of these weapons detection systems at schools across the district.
District staff visited schools in Manatee and Sarasota counties with these systems to see how they work and the overall impact..
The workshop begins on Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m.
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