New security system coming to Rio Rancho public schools

RIO RANCHO, N.M. — The Evolv security system will launch at Cleveland High School this year.

Officials with Rio Rancho Public Schools say they’re always thinking of ways to keep kids safe and this will add an extra layer of protection. The new security system is making its way to all public schools in Rio Rancho.

“Evolv concealed weapon detection scanner is, essentially, an antenna and a receiver that people can walk through,” said Sal Maniaci, the executive director of Safety and Security at RRPS. “It’s a touchless system on determining if they are carrying a dangerous weapon. It is like a metal detector, but it is not.”

The new weapon detection technology will go live at Cleveland this year, with a dual detector near the atrium and a smaller one near the cafeteria.

“As you can imagine, there are a lot of bugs we have to work out – changing student traffic patterns, where they come in at, where they park, where the buses let off,” Maniaci said. “There are a lot of logistics we have to work out in that particular area.”

RRPS wanted to make sure the system would work in the district, and took a trip out of state to make sure it was a good fit.

“We even went as far as traveling to North Carlina and South Carolina to see it used in some of the schools out there,” Maniaci said. “We told Evolv we wanted to see it used in schools that are similar to what we have – similar population, similar layout – and we did. We were impressed with how the system worked.”

Another thing the security team wanted was efficiency. Students will be able to quickly walk through the detectors without waiting in a line or emptying their pockets.

“That’s the key to success here, is that it doesn’t require you to take out your keys, change you have, cell phone,” Maniaci said. “It is designed to look for certain components of a weapon and that is what makes it different.”

RRPS will be rolling out the security system districtwide over the next few years.