LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Clark County School District is rolling out new weapons detection systems at their high schools' football games, replacing metal detectors that created long lines of people waiting to enter stadiums.
"If you've been to any of our games, you've seen the very popular ones, the line goes down the street or around the block," Chief of CCSD Police Department Henry Blackeye said.
"They're long," CCSD parent Marcus Vickers told me. "They're long and tedious and it's hot. Indoors is a little bit different but these outdoor games are taxing."
The school district has made recent investments to fix the problem while prioritizing the safety of athletes and spectators.
"As a district, we will use a weapons detection system at large-scale sporting events at high schools," interim superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell. "The enhanced system replaces metal detectors previously used at large athletic events and facilitates faster screenings."
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These security devices, equipped with a surveillance camera and a monitor, will be deployed at all CCSD varsity football games and varsity basketball games. Unlike standard metal detectors, these systems can detect the mass of objects.
CCSD Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Carter told media that it takes three seconds for each person to walk through it and for the system to reset.
"That's going to bring more time for us to enjoy the sport," Vickers said. "We don't have to stay in that line as long and the more tech-savvy it is, I tend to believe the more safe it will feel."
While no firearm was recovered at any CCSD athletics event when the district used standard metal detectors last year, parents like Vickers feel like this new tech allows them to better enjoy game day.
"I'm elated," Vickers said. "I feel like we're all very blessed because our kids are the most important part of our lives. Knowing they're protected, I think it makes all parents more comfortable."
