Upper Darby school leader will propose weapons detection system

The Upper Darby School District superintendent is taking steps to protect students and staff from gun violence with the proposal of a weapons detection system.

"It's unfortunate we're having these conversations, but here in the school district, we're going to review the best safety measures that we can and hope we make the right decision to keep our kids safe," said Superintendent Dr. Daniel McGarry.

McGarry believes this is one solution - installing a weapons detection system by Evolv Technology in the middle and high schools. About 4,400 students are in the high school and nearly 3,000 are in the middle schools. He proposed the idea in 2018 and 2022, but it was denied. This time around, he said school board members want him to present it at a committee meeting on Tuesday.

"This is not a metal detector. It's different," said McGarry. "It's not really looking just for metal; it has artificial intelligence - looking for the shape and what looks like a weapon."