McCarran donates metal detectors to area schools

Thursday, April 21, 2005 | 10:59 a.m.

McCarran International Airport is donating 23 walk-through metal detectors to the Clark County School District today, officials said.

McCarran recently updated all of their checkpoints with new state-of-the-art metal detection equipment, Randy Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, said in an issued statement. But the detectors they replaced are still in good condition and can be used by the school district.

"By installing more sophisticated metal detection equipment at the airport, an opportunity was afforded to take the old units out of our inventory and allow the school district to put them back in service where they can really do some good," Walker said.

The school district will use the detectors for major sporting events and other activities that draw large crowds to area high schools, not for screening students as they come to class each day, Darnell Couthen, spokesman for the Clark County School District, said.

The 23 detectors, worth an estimated $200,000, will be placed in 23 area high schools, Couthen said. Most likely they will not be put in use until next school year, when football and basketball season starts.

The school district currently only has a few walk-through detectors in its security inventory, Couthen said.

"This (donation) is going to help us out tremendously," Couthen said.

The screenings at athletic events deter people from bringing any weapons in, Couthen said. It's important to provide that additional security when there are large crowds coming to any one area, he said.

The district has screened people at athletic events for the last several years, Couthen said, but the new detectors will enhance the district's efforts to ensure a public safety safe. The most security has ever found at those events is pocket knives, Couthen said.

McCarran was scheduled to formally donate the detectors today at 11:30 a.m. at the McCarran Air Cargo Facility.