What to know about Anne Arundel schools’ trial run with AI-powered weapons detection

Determined to keep guns and knives away from students and classrooms, Anne Arundel County just began testing a new AI-powered weapons detection system at four high schools.

The district announced its plan in an April email to parents, alerting them that students would soon encounter the technology, known as Opengate. It’s the same system Harford County schools began using last school year following a fatal shooting at Joppatowne High.

Anne Arundel’s trial run comes nearly three months after a Glen Burnie elementary student accidentally discharged a gun in class, struck a classmate’s hand and landed that child in the hospital.

Some parents say the new system is needed to protect schools against mounting threats, while others argue the technology is new and unproven and the psychological toll of regular screening for weapons too high.

Bob Mosier, a spokesperson for the district, said the school system notified parents before launching the pilot to avoid inciting panic.

“We had a child bring a gun to school, and we’ve seen a number of knives in schools,” Mosier said. “We’re trying out this technology because we want to catch those things.”

Here’s what you need to know about the technology Anne Arundel is testing.

How the system works

Each Opengate unit consists of two tall poles that are portable and can be installed at the entrance to a school or any other location within the building.

When Anne Arundel students and staff get screened, they will be asked to pass through an area bounded by the two poles without stopping. The AI-powered system uses advanced electromagnetic field technology to detect the size, shape and mass of weapons concealed in a backpack, purse or waistband.

Mosier said the system is widely used in airports and sports stadiums, along with other school systems, including Harford’s. The manufacturer’s website touts testimonials from school administrators in states including Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. News reports credit Opengate systems with detecting guns students tried to bring into schools in Alabama.

Chuck Seergy, president of a New Jersey-based company that leases and sells the Opengate system, said it is “the best product out there” to screen people quickly. His company is not working with Anne Arundel but has worked with Maryland school systems.

Anne Arundel’s Office of School Security will be in schools monitoring whether and how often the system makes mistakes.

He did not say what will happen if an Opengate unit detects a weapon.

What it costs

The school district paid a Columbia-based contractor just under $100,000 to lease four Opengate units through 2028, according to the contract, which the district signed last summer.

That figure is far less than the $2 million the board of education requested last summer to pilot a noninvasive weapons detection system at 15 high schools. County Executive Steuart Pittman said last summer he believes such a system can save lives but considered a smaller, less expensive pilot program more sensible.

Mosier said he expects the district to determine next school year whether it wants to expand the use of the technology following the pilot or possibly test a different weapons detection system. He did not say why the district selected Opengate or whether it considered other systems.

“We want to make sure we have sound data and sound reasoning before we take next steps,” he said.

Where screening will occur

The pilot program launched with installation of the units at four high schools. Mosier wouldn’t say which ones because he doesn’t want students to know whether they might encounter the technology at school or not.

He said the district plans to move the devices around and test them at schools and athletic events across the county through the start of next school year. Then staff from the Office of School Security will share observations on the pilot with district leaders.

Are students safe now?

Mosier stressed that installation of an Opengate unit at a school does not mean that school is unsafe.

“If you encounter this system at your school, it is not because something happened at your school,” Mosier said.

What other districts do

Along with Harford County, other area districts use technology to keep weapons out of schools.

Montgomery County uses an AI-powered system called VOLT AI, which uses existing security cameras to look for “suspicious activity.”

Baltimore City has used Evolv Technologies, a company whose weapon detection system has been heavily criticized for being inaccurate.

Baltimore County’s system uses security cameras and AI to identify guns that are visible but not concealed. But last fall the system made an error that drew a lot of negative attention.

Police officers approached a high school student with guns drawn after the system mistook a bag of Doritos and an outstretched finger for a gun.