Cities, theme parks adopt new weapons detection technology to curb gun violence


Weapons detection screening systems are becoming more and more common. These systems use touchless sensors to screen for objects that look like weapons in people’s pockets or backpacks, then they feed that information back to a computer system where security guards can view it.

In Detroit, city leaders hope the technology can be used to prevent gun violence.

As WDET’s Eli Newman reports, that means bringing security checkpoints to public spaces.

This story originally appeared on “Marketplace” on Aug. 11, 2022.

Weapons detection screening systems are popping up in many places — think metal detectors 2.0. Disney World and Six Flags have them, and more and more school districts screen students through one every day as they enter school.

In Detroit, city leaders hope the technology can be used to cut down on gun violence as they bring security checkpoints to public spaces. As part of the city’s celebrations around the Fourth of July, crowds of people headed to the riverfront to get a good view of the annual fireworks show. It was the first one since the pandemic started and thousands showed up to watch from Detroit and its surrounding suburbs.

The spectacle brought Tony Semenuk down to watch. Up until this year, the St. Clair Shores, Michigan, resident had been hesitant to attend.

“Every year that you come down here, they light fireworks off and you don’t know if they’re gunshots,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve been down here in six years.”

Semenuk noted the big difference at the fireworks show this year — the Detroit Police Department sectioned off the best place to watch the fireworks and created a temporary “weapons detection zone.”

The Detroit Police Department fenced off Hart Plaza, requiring attendees to walk through an Evolv Technology weapons detection gate checkpoint.
The Detroit Police Department fenced off Hart Plaza, requiring attendees to walk through an Evolv Technology weapons detection gate. (Eli Newman/WDET)

Before people entered, they had to go through a weapons detection checkpoint. There were rows of gates with little cameras on them as people walk past to be screened. Taliyah Brown was there working for a private security company hired to manage the system for the fireworks. She monitored a tablet to see if…

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