Surveillance cameras and metal detectors — these are just some of the technologies Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) are using to keep kids safe.
News4 spoke to Gary Cunningham, the director of safety and security for the school system about his biggest safety challenge.
“Violence in the schools is always a safety concern, so we believe that if kids don’t feel safe, they can’t learn. If teachers don’t feel safe, they can’t teach, so our job is to stop the issues at the front door,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said there are about 330 security personnel to cover middle and high schools as well as student resource officers. And while they prepare for the worst, there is a focus on prevention.
“So we do drills, we train our personnel to deal with life-threatening situations, but we also train them to prevent them, so safety enhancements and safety equipment, safety drills, all those things help us prepare and prevent situations,” he said.
And technology is playing an even bigger role in safety. The school system is applying for grants to invest in more tech and personnel and piloting an AI weapon detection program this fall ..
“So that will give us the ability to stop at 100 feet from the front door as opposed to the metal detector stopping it at the door,” Cunningham said.
PGCPS began putting in metal detectors in schools back in 2023. They’re in all the high schools and 14 middle schools and K-8 academies. The school system is also getting creative using motion detectors, noise sensors and speakers to enhance what’s already in place.
“So if there’s an incident that’s going on, rather than have somebody run to that incident, maybe we’ll talk to the students or the speaker, tell them to move on,” Cunningham said.
PGCPS is also using vape detection technology, as 1,000 vapes were confiscated last year.
Clear or mesh backpacks will continue to be mandated for middle and high schools.
Cunningham also said parents continue to play a big role in student safety.
“They know when their kids get up and have a bad attitude, they know when there’s a problem that they’ve been fighting all weekend with someone, so if they let us know, it helps quite a bit,” he said.
Those News4 spoke to indicated support for the safety initiatives.
“I think they need to have more police presence, like, more metal detectors,” one parent said. “I think the clear bookbag system is perfect because now you’ll be able to see what the kids are bringing in school.”
“Clear bags, because of some students may take stuff to school which they’re not supposed to. So for that reason, the clear bags are very good,” another said.
There was a 50% decrease in the number of weapons confiscated last school year, according to PGCPS.
School starts in the county on Aug. 25.
