Weapon Screening Systems

There has been increasing concern across the country related to increased gun violence in our communities over the past several years. The Charlottesville/Albemarle area is not immune to this. Over the last several years, our community has witnessed both random and targeted gun violence in our community resulting in injuries and death. Our partners in local police agencies report an increase in gun use, including the unauthorized use by young people. 

National and State Data

More than 1,150 guns were brought to K-12 campuses in the 2022-2023 school year, according to a Washington Post analysis of news reports from last October. That’s a 309% increase from the 2015-16 school year, when 281 guns were found, according to a Trace analysis from June 2016. 

Tallies from the National Center for Education Statistics reveal a frightening increase in guns brought to K-12 schools after COVID-19. During the 2021-22 academic year, 4,955 students were caught with a gun at school nationwide. That is far more than in any single year in the pre-COVID era. In Virginia during the 2021-22 school year, 139 students were documented as carrying a gun to school in comparison to the last pre-COVID year (2018-19) where 51 students were caught with a gun in school, a 172% increase. 

Local Data

Utilizing the Regional Citizen Connect site on local crime, data was pulled from the past 5 years that demonstrates the increase in the Shots Fired category, in both the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

Below you will see the high number of incidents of Shots Fired over the past 5 years for both jurisdictions.

Time Period	Albemarle County	Charlottesville
July 2020 to June 2021	77 incidents	30 incidents
July 2021 to June 2022	129 incidents	116 incidents
July 2022 to June 2023	312 incidents	264 incidents
July 2023 to June 2024	286 incidents	210 incidents
July 2024 to June 2025	264 incidents	180 incidents

 

CEIA OPENGATE® is a weapons screening system designed for the automatic screening of people in transit, including their luggage, backpacks, and bags, for the detection of mass casualty metal threats, such as high caliber assault weapons and improvised explosive devices (IED). It was designed for unimpeded flow of traffic with no need for attendees to stop. You can safely scan 2,500 people per hour through a single OPENGATE lane.

• OPENGATE is a wire-free screening portal consisting of two independent and self-powered pillars, with each pillar equipped with a support base and electronic analysis system.
• OPENGATE does not require a mechanical and electrical connection between the two transducers that define the passageway.
• Acoustic and optical signals, located at the top of the pillars, provide simultaneous status and alarm indications.
• OPENGATE features a near zero rate of nuisance alarms, and operates with very high transit flow, without the need for the divestiture of non threat items.
• It is portable, easy to set up and ready to use with no installation required, including the setting and assembly of mechanical and electrical parts.
• Its structure makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor operations, even in conditions of exposure to rain and sunlight, in all environmental conditions that are compatible with security screening operations.
• OPENGATE portability allows quick relocation of the gate, offering the most suitable solution for places where, for safety reasons, the checkpoint must be moved from obstructions after use.
• If required, the detection and signaling parameters and sensitivity can be easily set via the OPENGATE App, designed for smartphones or tablets based on Android or iOS operating systems.
• OPENGATE is portable and meant for indoor and outdoor use. It is easy to relocate and quick to install. It is only 25 pounds with less than 1 minute setup and does not require adjustments or the assembly of mechanical and electrical parts.

Each high school will have multiple screening devices at their location for use and will have the screeners installed and ready for use each day prior to student arrival. Screeners will be set up at entrances to the school where students, staff and visitors enter the building throughout the day.

Screeners will be active throughout the entire school day.  

Step by Step Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to enter through the screening process.

• OPENGATE systems will be operational prior to the first students entering the building to start the school day. This includes Early Bird classes.
• Once the screening begins, all students and visitors entering the school will proceed through the detection system.  
• OPENGATE requires NO removal of backpack, bags or purses and is designed as an easy walkthrough system.
• Students may keep most items in their backpacks and bags including: non-metal lunch boxes; water bottles, books, planners, spiral notebooks, cell phones, folders, pencil cases and keys.
• Laptop computers must be removed from their backpack by students and carried in hand prior to entering screener. Other possible items may need to be removed including three-ring binders; collapsible umbrellas and metal lunch boxes.

How to walk through

1. Listen for staff instructions
2. There may be multiple screeners in use to choose from. Go to the shortest line.
3. Have the required items out of your backpack, such as your laptop, out and ready to hand to a staff member before walking through the OPENGATE.
4. Walk through the OPENGATE as you retrieve your laptop and any other belongings and continue walking to your destination.
5. Students should walk in a single file line.
6. Students should remove hats and carry them in hand. (This does NOT include religious head coverings.)
7. Carry backpack and bags through center part of OPENGATE away from each pillar
8. Keep moving when possible and don’t touch or bump the OPENGATE system. 
9. If the OPENGATE alarms, the indicator light at the top of the pillar turns red. A staff member will direct the individual to the designated search area.  Staff will ask the individual to place any bags in their possession on the table and to ask if they have any weapons or harmful devices. Their belongings will be checked for weapons or harmful devices. 
   • If nothing is identified of concern, the individual is redirected to pass through the screening system a second time. If the screening system is not activated, the individual can collect their belongings, once checked, and proceed into the school. 
   • If the screening system is activated a second time, the individual will be asked to step to the side where an administrator will intervene. 
   • If the weapons screening device is activated on a person or a person’s belongings that require a more extensive search, the individual will be moved to a more private area when appropriate. 
   • If a weapon is discovered during the screening process, the staff member will cease the entry process, will call for an Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) SRO or police officer and immediately secure the bag containing the weapon and tell the attendee to not leave the premises. At no time will the staff member handle a weapon. Staff will follow response protocols at this point that could lead to specific procedures such as Hold, Secure the Building, or Lockdown. 
   • If an ACPS student refuses to pass through a detector he/she may be subject to further inspection. A visitor who refuses to pass through a detector will not be allowed entry into the school. 

Sworn law enforcement officials will be permitted to enter through the security screening system if they have their official badge or identification prominently displayed.

It is vital to the success of this process that all staff members involved in the security screening process receive comprehensive training on the weapons screening system and the established protocols. The safety and security of our school community are paramount, and the implementation of the screening system will contribute significantly to achieving this goal.

Only school personnel who have received training in the use of weapons detectors or law enforcement personnel requested by the school principal (or designee) or the Superintendent to conduct the screening shall be authorized to conduct screenings using the weapons screening systems. Screening by weapons detectors shall be under the supervision and observation of the school principal (or designee) when in use.

Staff, that may include administrators, selected instructional staff, and security personnel, will receive training prior to the deployment of the weapons detection system.

Students will be introduced and oriented to the screening system prior to its implementation at their schools through announcements and communications from the division and high school. 

Parents or other individuals with specific concerns about implanted or wearable electronic medical devices and/or pregnancy should consult with the device manufacturer or physician. A parent or other individual may submit a written request for a manual screening alternative that references the basis for the request. If a manual screening alternative request is approved, the request and the approval should be documented with the school nurse, and the principal or their designee or security staff will identify the manual screening alternative to be utilized for that individual.

If a school receives a request for a manual screening alternative, and the reason for the request other than pregnancy or an implanted or wearable electronic medical device, please consult with school safety personnel.

Staff members with specific concerns about implanted electronic medical devices and/or pregnancy should consult with their medical professional or device manufacturer. Requests for manual screening alternatives should be discussed with HR.

1. Are other school divisions across the state and nationally using weapon screeners?
Many of the largest school districts in Virginia are using the CEIA OPENGATE (OPENGATE) to screen students in the morning, as well as for sports and public events, including but not limited to; Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County, Henrico County, Chesapeake Public Schools, Norfolk City Public Schools and Newport News to name a few. 

There are more than 1000 school districts using Opengate technology across the country, including some of the largest such as: New York City Public Schools; Broward, Hillsborough, Lee and Palm Beach counties in Florida; Houston and Dallas ISD and many more. 

2. Does my child have to take anything out of their bookbag prior to going through the detectors?
School laptops must be taken out prior to going through the screener. Laptops will be handed to a staff member monitoring the device and handed back to the student as they enter and cross through the screening device.

Other items that are high in density such as umbrellas, metal lunch boxes and three-ring binders may trigger the alarm. As students begin to identify certain items they carry regularly to school that may trigger the alarm, they may pass those to the staff, along with their computer, to limit detection each pass through. 

3. My child plays a musical instrument. What is the plan for addressing this and similar instances of instruments, sports equipment, etc., each day when students are going through the system?
Large items, provided they fit through the screening device, will be screened as part of the walkthrough of the individual. Per the operating procedures, if the sensor is activated as a student walks through, as in this example, they would follow the procedures and walk to the designated area for further inspection. 

Many instruments/cases will go through without triggering the alarm, the same is true for some sports equipment. If/when any item causes an alert, the case/bag will need to be checked. If/when a school has many members of a band/athletic team that have items that are known to alert, they can create separate lines for these students, so that they are not holding up the other lines — in effect, creating fast lanes for those students. 

4. If a child has a physical disability that requires adaptive medical equipment, how will this be addressed?
It depends on the student and their individual situation. If necessary, a faculty member can assist with removing all the student’s bags\personal items to be screened. If the individual was dependent on a device, such as a wheelchair to enter, a staff member would walk the chair around the detector with the individual, absent their personal belongings. The goal is to have the process be the least intrusive for all our students and our staff be sensitive to individual student needs. 

5. Is the SRO involved in the daily screening at the high schools?
No. The SRO only becomes involved at the request of an administrator or if they witness a dangerous situation requiring police intervention. 

6. Who has the authority to search students if the system detects something inside their book bag or on their person?
Only certain school officials have the right, via State of Virginia guidelines, to search students while at school. These include school administrators, school safety officers and SROs (as necessary). 

7. Would it not be humiliating if a student triggers the alarm and is searched in front of their peers?
In observance of other districts utilizing weapons screening devices, the process of removing a student from the screening process due to a positive reaction to the system is very efficient.  Students who trigger the alarm are pulled to the side by school personnel in an efficient manner to ensure their safety and the safety of those around them. 

8. What does the search process look like when the alarm is triggered by a student walking through the detectors?
If the OPENGATE alarm is triggered, the indicator light at the top of the pillar turns red. A staff member will direct you to the designated search area. Staff will ask the individual to place any bags in their possession on the table and to ask if they have any weapons or harmful devices. Their belongings will be checked for weapons or harmful devices. 

If nothing of concern is identified, the individual is redirected to pass through the screening system a second time. If the screening system is not activated, the individual can collect their belongings, once checked, and proceed into the school. 

If the screening system is activated a second time, the individual will be asked to step to the side where an administrator will intervene. 

If the weapons screening device is activated on a person or a person’s belongings that require a more extensive search, the individual will be moved to a more private area when appropriate. 

If a weapon is discovered during the screening process, the staff member will cease the entry process, will call for an Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) SRO or police officer and immediately secure the bag containing the weapon and tell the attendee to not leave the premises. At no time will the staff member handle a weapon. Staff will follow response protocols at this point that could lead to specific procedures such as Hold, Secure the Building, or Lockdown/Evacuate. 

9. When is the system activated to start the school day at my child’s school?  What if my child comes in early or has an early bird class?
Once the first classes begin at the high school, the screening system will be operational. While the official start time of our comprehensive high schools in Albemarle County is 8:50 a.m., all three schools have “early bird” classes prior to that time.  Weapon screeners will be in place prior to Early Bird classes and students need to enter through the main entrance for those classes.

No students, even children of staff, will be allowed entry until they have gone through screening. Once the screening begins to start the day, it will be operational until the end of the school day.  

10. Our school allows students (Seniors) to leave for lunch.  Will this process impact that?
Seniors in high school who leave for lunch must check out through their school’s check-out procedures to properly leave the building and follow the school’s requirements. Leaving the building does not require use of the weapon screeners. Once students return to school, they are required to proceed through the screeners as they did when originally entering the school. 

11. Certain schools allow their students to go outside and eat for lunch.  Will this still be permissible?
If students are under the direct supervision of staff during the time they leave the building and return after lunch, they would not be required to go through the screening system. However, if staff are unable to be accountable for students in the entirety of their time outside for lunch in this example, students would be required to re-enter through the screening device in returning to the school.  Access to return into the building from lunch will be limited to designated entrances of the school. 

12. What if a classroom teacher takes their students outside for an activity or if the PE class goes to the stadium.  Will they have to go through the detectors to get back into the building?
Students who are under the direct supervision of an adult as part of a class, will not need to return back through the detectors when returning to the school building. 

13. My high school has pods/villas that students attend as part of their daily schedule. How will the weapons screening system be utilized for these students?
We have taken additional efforts with each high school to strengthen the security and safety of the outside learning spaces to best monitor students coming and going to and from the main school building.  This includes limiting vehicular and pedestrian traffic in those areas. 

14. Do parents or visitors to the school have to go through the weapon screening process when coming to the school during school hours?
Yes, students, parents, contractors, and other visitors are required to go through the screening throughout the school day. 

15. What if I have a meeting with my child’s teacher at school.  Do I still need to go through the screener?
Yes, provided it’s within the hours of when school is in session (including Early Bird classes).  Once the school day ends, the screening devices will not be utilized. 

16. What’s the overall goal and intention behind the implementation of the weapon screening devices at the high schools?
As described above, there has been an increase in our community, and the broader area, of gun violence.  While there have been no instances of gun possession and gun violence in our schools recently, we know some of our youth are involved in gun violence in the community, particularly during non school hours.  In many instances, these occurrences have involved youth. Our mission is to create safe learning environments for our students and staff.  Providing an additional measure of security helps to support keeping our schools safe. 

17. What items are the screeners intended to detect?
Weapon screeners will be programmed to search for high density items which include firearms and larger devices. 

18. Won’t weapon screeners at the high schools delay student arrival to the school in the morning?
Access entry points will be tightened at the beginning of the school day to ensure tighter controls of student entry. Initially this may cause some inconvenience and delays at the beginning of the new school year until parents and students get accustomed to the new process.  Once there is more familiarity with the process, the flow will be more efficient.  

19. How are staff used at the schools to monitor the system effectively throughout the day? Does this require additional staffing to cover these areas?
Each high school will utilize their Safety and Security Officers, Administrators, along with other teachers and staff to monitor the screening throughout the day at necessary locations.  Supplemental pay will be provided to staff working outside of contract hours.