Weapon detectors introduced into Lamar County schools for after-school activities

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – The Lamar County School District's number one priority is safety.

In February 2023, Lamar County Schools adopted a clear bag policy at after-school events, but this year they decided to increase security even further.

“We purchased 14 sets of weapon detectors,” said Lamar County Superintendent Dr. Steven Hampton.

Now, when you enter an after-school event, you must pass through a portable weapon detector located at the front door.

However, these are not ordinary metal detectors.

“It won't pick up belt buckles or steel-toed boots, but it will pick up certain types of metals that guns are made from,” Hampton said.

“It doesn’t interrupt their entry into the game,” said Lamar County Schools Police Chief Tamica Hill. “They can still come in as they normally would. It targets specific types of metals found in weapons.

So when you drive through a detector with just your keys, you can still continue to do so and it won't cause you any problems.

Weapon detectors will only be used during extracurricular activities such as baseball or football games, theater performances or athletic competitions. It is important to note that these devices will not be used during the normal school day.

“Our day is safe,” Hill said. “We know who is coming in and out of our buildings, we have a lot of procedures in place, but for extracurricular events, it’s the unknown.”

Lamar County school leaders say the 14 “Opengate Weapon Detection Systems” were paid for entirely with district funds.

“We allocated a large amount of money for security,” Hampton said. “We didn’t wait for a grant, we didn’t wait for a donor, we just felt like we needed to move forward and use our district’s funds.”

District officials believe this was an important step to take to keep the community safe.

“We want our community, when they come, to attend these events and feel safe,” Hampton says. “It gives them the security of knowing that everyone who is in this game has gone through that gun detector so they can have an easier time and not have to worry about that. They can focus on the current event.

Lamar County school leaders say even with the new weapon detectors, the clear bag policy is still in effect for after-school activities.

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