Pop-up metal detectors set at Vero Beach High School days after student was found with gun – WPBF West Palm Beach
Students at Vero Beach High School had a different start to their morning on Friday.They had to go through metal detectors to get to class, something that was a surprise pilot program. “We did not notify anybody,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers told WPBF 25 News. These metal detectors were set up just days after a Vero Beach High School senior was found with a gun in his bag.Investigators said Martrez Barnes, 18, and 15 other students were in the bathroom, when they were suspected of vaping. A school official and resource officer said they found a gun in Barnes’ bag. Since then, the sheriff worked closely with Superintendent Dr. David Moore after the incident to establish enhanced security measures at Vero Beach High School. “Earlier in the year, we had purchased several of these metal detectors that are portable metal detectors for football games to try and move the crowds into our stadium faster. And so, in my conversation with Dr. Moore, he said, ‘I’d really like to deploy those one day randomly on the school and see how that works and see how much it slows down our system and let’s just try it,'” Flowers said. “It’s a deterrent essentially to try and keep kids from bringing weapons to schools,” he added. The sheriff said they did not run into any major issues on campus Friday. “It was very successful, we did not locate any weapons. There were certainly some lines associated with it, and it took the students some time to get in. But we were very happy with that and it’s an ongoing process,” Flowers said. “They’re not the traditional kind where you empty your pockets, where you have to walk through and take your belt off, or shoes off. These are the fast-pass ones.”Some parents said they were supportive of this move. “More safe for the children, because you never know in this day and age, they’re getting younger and younger and doing worse and worse things,” Brittani Berky, who has two children at Vero Beach Elementary School right down the street, told WPBF 25 News. “You think about all the school shootings that have happened in the past? I would think you should support it as a parent, because do you want your kids to be in that position? I don’t,” she added. The sheriff said he will continue to work closely with the school district to come up with a districtwide plan for implementing these detectors. “These metal detectors could pop up at any one of the schools at any given time, and it puts the student on notice that we’re looking and we’re watching,” Flowers said. He said with more than 30 school resource officers across the district, and the implementation of these metal detectors, he is working to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.”Somebody who thinks you could bring a gun to campus? It’s not going to happen on our watch,” Flowers said. Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Students at Vero Beach High School had a different start to their morning on Friday.
They had to go through metal detectors to get to class, something that was a surprise pilot program.
“We did not notify anybody,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers told WPBF 25 News.
These metal detectors were set up just days after a Vero Beach High School senior was found with a gun in his bag.
Investigators said Martrez Barnes, 18, and 15 other students were in the bathroom, when they were suspected of vaping. A school official and resource officer said they found a gun in Barnes’ bag.
Since then, the sheriff worked closely with Superintendent Dr. David Moore after the incident to establish enhanced security measures at Vero Beach High School.
“Earlier in the year, we had purchased several of these metal detectors that are portable metal detectors for football games to try and move the crowds into our stadium faster. And so, in my conversation with Dr. Moore, he said, ‘I’d really like to deploy those one day randomly on the school and see how that works and see how much it slows down our system and let’s just try it,'” Flowers said.
“It’s a deterrent essentially to try and keep kids from bringing weapons to schools,” he added.
The sheriff said they did not run into any major issues on campus Friday.
“It was very successful, we did not locate any weapons. There were certainly some lines associated with it, and it took the students some time to get in. But we were very happy with that and it’s an ongoing process,” Flowers said. “They’re not the traditional kind where you empty your pockets, where you have to walk through and take your belt off, or shoes off. These are the fast-pass ones.”
Some parents said they were supportive of this move.
“More safe for the children, because you never know in this day and age, they’re getting younger and younger and doing worse and worse things,” Brittani Berky, who has two children at Vero Beach Elementary School right down the street, told WPBF 25 News.
“You think about all the school shootings that have happened in the past? I would think you should support it as a parent, because do you want your kids to be in that position? I don’t,” she added.
The sheriff said he will continue to work closely with the school district to come up with a districtwide plan for implementing these detectors.
“These metal detectors could pop up at any one of the schools at any given time, and it puts the student on notice that we’re looking and we’re watching,” Flowers said.
He said with more than 30 school resource officers across the district, and the implementation of these metal detectors, he is working to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.
“Somebody who thinks you could bring a gun to campus? It’s not going to happen on our watch,” Flowers said.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
