Jenks officials hope scanner can reduce risks

By Chad Previch
The Oklahoman

JENKS, OK - The Jenks School District on Friday will become the first in Oklahoma to use a new high-tech scanner that checks the criminal and parental rights of those walking through the doors.
The LobbyGuard visitor management kiosk instantly can check visitors against national and state sex offender registries and criminal databases. It also matches the visitor with the student he or she is allowed to pick up.

"The LobbyGuard kiosk will be one more deterrent to keep the bad guys out of our children's schools," said Roger Wright, the district's executive administrator of safety and emergency preparedness.

District officials purchased one machine, said Tara Thompson, spokeswoman for Jenks schools. In light of recent school shootings nationally, Thompson said she hopes the machine can decrease the risk the district faces.

The unmanned machine will be placed at the entrance of the alternative education center, which has no side doors. If it is a success, other machines could be installed across the district, Thompson said.

Visitors slip their state-issued driver's license or identification card into the machine, which then checks their background, Thompson said. During the background check, the machine takes the visitor's picture.

If the person checks out, a visitor's pass, complete with picture, is printed, Thompson said. That person must wear the pass at all times.

An error message alerting the person to report to the office will appear if the background check picks up a concern, Thompson said. At the same time, local authorities are alerted by the machine.

Thompson said as much as they expect the machine to help, it will not stop someone running into a building armed with a gun. It wouldn't even stop a person who chooses to walk past it, but officials say that a person without a visitor's pass would be noticed.

Kevin Allen, president of LobbyGuard Solutions, said orders have doubled the past six weeks. Allen said it's a good feeling to know the machines could prevent loss of life.

"If you go to most schools, you walk in there, and they have to take who you say you are at face value," Allen said.

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