After more than 800 assaults in the 2009 – 2010 school year, Detroit Public Schools are stepping their game to increase student safety, reports the Detroit Free Press.

Partnering with Baltimore-based View Systems, the system has installed a $534,000 ViewScan detector system. It’s the same technology being used in airports and in this case it snaps a photo of students and indicates the location of any threatening objects, or concealed weapons, in their possession.

The district has also signed on a new motorcycle police patrol unit. Surveillance cameras have also been added to work alongside the district’s existing ID-badge system for visitors which runs a quick background check to identify sex offenders or those with restraining orders.

During the 2009 – 2010, the district reported 129 confiscated weapons and 851 physical assaults, among other offenses. In an attempt to remedy this problem, Detroit Public Schools officials have installed 60 ViewScan units in the 32 high schools throughout the district.

Read more here.

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