A recent incident at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, Maryland was a disturbing reminder of how gun detection technology can go wrong. At last year’s event, a student holding a bag of chips was reported as having a gun. Student Taki Allen was the one who stole the show when his Dorito bag was identified as a gun by the Omnilert gun detection system during a regular security screening.
The security department at Kenwood High School utilizes Omnilert’s advanced gun detection system. This technology greatly enhances student safety. This time around, the platform alerted Principal Katie Smith that there was a possible firearm on campus.
Once alerted, Principal Smith and the security department immediately jumped in to help. Within minutes, they were able to reassess the situation and determine that it was a false alarm. Because this alert was such a sensitive type of alert, the protocol needed more than just a police response. When Principal Smith learned of the attack, he immediately notified the school resource officer assigned to the school, who in turn informed local law enforcement.
When police officers arrived on the scene, they immediately handcuffed Allen and did not offer him medical assistance. They told him to kneel down and lock his hands behind his back. It went out of control even after the first review by school security that had already found Allen innocent of any wrongdoing.
“I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun.” – Taki Allen
After Officer’s searched Allen in police custody, the officers located no firearms and no weapons at all on Allen’s person. The event has raised new questions about the efficacy of automated security measures in schools. The public is rightly asking whether these systems can truly detect a real threat from a harmless item.
In response to the events that transpired, Omnilert released a statement claiming that “the process worked exactly as it should.” The manufacturer touted that their system was built with safety first, even when that means producing false alerts.
This troubling event highlights the difficulty of protecting school safety and student privacy when deploying cutting-edge technology. With the growing fear and threat of school shootings, educational institutions are increasingly using technologies such as gun detection systems. It’s extremely important to examine their truthfulness and what that could mean for students’ lives.
