LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville’s public middle and high schools have all recently had weapons detection systems installed. And new data from Jefferson County Public schools shows what’s been found so far this year, including guns, knives and more.
The Evolv systems are different from metal detectors in that they use artificial intelligence-based technology to detect weapons. The system scans bags and pockets in real time. If an item is seen on the scanner as a student walks through it, the normally green light on the system turns red and a photo of the student will be shown on a tablet visible to trained staff. The photo will also have a red box around the “potentially dangerous item,” and the trained staff member will search that area.
So what’s been found so far? In the 2024-25 school year, the systems have found 19 items students attempted to carry into school, everything from guns to knives.
Guns were found at Male and Fern Creek high schools. And records show students tried to bring in knives 11 times and were caught. JCPS said the knives had a blade length of 2.5 inches or larger. Four of the knives were found at Valley High School.
Data also shows Evolv found a pellet gun, stun gun/taser gun and a couple replica toy guns.
In a written statement Wednesday, JCPS said the systems were installed in all high schools before the end of the 2023-24 school year. All middle school systems were installed by the end of February 2025.
“Weapons detection is an additional layer of our District security plan,” district spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said Wednesday. “Since implementing the systems, we have seen a drastic reduction in the number of guns found in our schools.”
JCPS said it’ll provide video of Evolv systems next week to all media and will make someone available to talk to the media about the system.
For the success in catching the items outlined above, the system has, however, been controversial.
The Federal Trade Commission sued Evolv Technologies, accusing the company of making false claims about the extent its AI-powered security screening system can detect weapons. In its complaint, the FTC said Evolv scanners failed to detect weapons in schools, but did flag items like laptops, binders and water bottles.
In a proposed settlement order, Evolv would be banned from making unsupported claims about its product, and would need to give schools the option to cancel their contracts.
“The trust and partnership of our customers remain our top priority as we work to democratize security for a safer world,” Evolv said in a statement. “We look forward to working collaboratively with our customers to ensure they identify the right technology solution for their security needs.”
Despite the lawsuit, JCPS has said it will continue using Evolv. JCPS said the system is estimated to cost the district $17 million for a five-year lease, and the district is responsible for staffing and upkeep of the systems.
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