LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Hardin County Schools is testing new technology this week to keep students and staff safe.
A new security detection system will greet students at Central Hardin High School on Friday. The school district is testing new technology this week with safety in mind.
"Every minute, every second that they're in our school buildings, it's our mission to keep them safe," said John Wright, director of public relations for Hardin County Schools. "Nothing has happened for us to say 'this is what we want to do.' There's not been an uptick in finding weapons or finding anything, this is just another way for us to keep students safe."
Johnson Controls Security Solutions LLC – and its system, Evolv Express, uses artificial intelligence to detect dangerous items.
A person walks through the Evolv Express system at Central Hardin High School.
It's different from metal detectors in that it uses artificial intelligence-based technology searches for weapons. It allows people to walk through without removing their bags or emptying their pockets. A guard monitors the system on a tablet, and is alerted when a weapon is detected on a person.
It's the same technology Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) tested and chose to implement in its schools.
"It truly does do a great job of finding things that people shouldn't be bringing into a school building," Wright said.
The school district plans to test the technology on Friday at the high school in Cecilia. Parents will see the system as their children enter the school, and also notice it at the home football game later that evening.
"We know that our community members are going to have to use it as well so we just want them to maybe get used to seeing it," Wright said.
The school district stressed it's just testing for research. School leaders want to see the system in action before making any decisions about its future in Hardin County Schools.
"This would be a major purchase if we did something like this," Wright said. "And we're testing it out at the largest high school, the largest school in our district just so we can get a better litmus test on how it would work."
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