Tom McDermott demonstrates the CEIA metal detector.
By Emily Baierl, Correspondent
The Perris Union High School District Board of Trustees heard presentations from two companies on walk-through metal detectors at a special board meeting on Nov. 20. The discussion came in response to rising safety concerns after a student brought an airsoft gun to Heritage High School earlier this month.
Representatives from Evolv Technology and CEIA USA presented two different systems designed to screen people and detect weapons.
Evolv Technology, a 12-year-old East Coast company, presented first, promoting the Evolv Express system. Launched in December 2019, the Evolv Express is an AI-enhanced scanner designed to detect weapons while ignoring common personal items such as cell phones. Neighboring Hemet Unified School District has used Evolv detectors since January 2023.
The system works by flagging threats on a handheld tablet. As an individual passes through the detector, the tablet screen displays their image, and if a potential weapon is detected, a bright red box appears over the suspected location.
“If there are multiple items detected, you’ll see more than one box,” Evolv’s representative said. “This process is designed to focus the search and avoid searching someone head-to-toe. The goal is to resolve alerts quickly and help reduce bias in the process.”
One issue raised during the presentation was that the system can produce false positives with items such as laptops, three-ring binders, or eyeglass cases. The sensors are more likely to set off false alarms when students’ backpacks are crowded with multiple items.
Evolv’s representative suggested workarounds, such as having students hold out laptops or place them to the side while passing through the detector, then retrieving them afterward. Board members noted that such steps could slow student entry, particularly during peak arrival times.
The Evolv Express also includes remote monitoring, which allows security staff to view alerts and footage from a different location in real time, rather than standing directly at the detector. It also features an online portal that tracks the number of people scanned and records each time the alarm is set off.
This system has a projected life expectancy of seven years, with a single unit costing between $80,000 and $100,000, according to Evolv’s representative. This price includes software updates, warranty coverage, and break-fix service. It was noted, however, that preventable incidents of vandalism would not be covered under the warranty.
After Evolv’s presentation, CEIA USA, an Italian manufacturer with more than 25 years of experience in school security and partnerships with the NYPD, presented its OpenGate system. The system focuses on detecting real threats with minimal nuisance alarms.
“The conversation shouldn’t be about what it doesn’t alert on,” CEIA representative Tom McDermott said, “The conversation should be what’s the smallest threat item you want to keep out of your school? That’s where it should start. This is about security.”
McDermott went on to explain that the system can screen up to 300 students every 15 minutes with a single lane and is portable, wireless, and network-independent.
The OpenGate system comes with a mobile app used only for adjusting settings, including customizable sensitivity to detect a range of metal threats. The system uses metal signatures to trigger alerts, and settings can be changed in less than 20 seconds.
Each tower runs on a primary battery with a backup in place. The primary battery provides an estimated seven hours of operation and will fail over to the backup to provide an additional seven hours if needed.
The estimated cost of this system is $18,700 with a projected lifespan of more than 20 years, according to McDermott.
McDermott said that the detectors can be deployed indoors or outdoors and are designed for rapid setup. While secondary screening is required for alerts, the system consistently produces fewer false alarms than some alternatives, according to McDermott.
However, walk-through detectors are only one part of a broader safety strategy. PUHSD Director of Security John Hannon outlined several key considerations for the board regarding logistics.
With the current multi-entry layout that most schools in the district have, Hannon estimated that three to four devices per school would be needed. Smaller campuses would require fewer units.
Staffing requirements would depend on the system chosen, ranging from three to eight people per entrance. This staff likely couldn’t consist entirely of designated security personnel, since they can’t be stationed at a single entrance and must continue supervising the entire campus. Storage space also emerged as a concern, as the district would need secure areas to store and charge the systems when not in use.
“They’re a tool,” said Hannon, “They’re part of our overall security system, which is our fencing, our security protocols and our security personnel. So we want to keep in mind, as well as our cameras, that this is all part of a system to keep everybody safe.”
There was no announcement about when or if a decision will be made regarding such a purchase. The district previously ordered 12 handheld metal detectors at as cost of $4,888.
