Schools
New System Stores ID of Visitors to Baltimore County Schools
Badges will be given and information about all visitors will be gathered and stored at all schools in Baltimore County.
By Brian Hooks
A year after a shooting at Perry Hall High School, schools in Baltimore County will be a step safer thanks to a computer system that conducts instant background checks.
The new "Raptor" system will store information on visitors to all schools, and it will print mandatory photo badges, according to a BCPS press release.
"This new check-in system enhances security both for the visitor and for the school and its students and staff," said Dale Rauenzahn, BCPS security director.
Rauenzahn said visitors will only need to provide a driver's license or government-issued identification on the first visit to a school, and staff will be able to print a badge for additional visits.
The system uses the visitor's photo, name, license number and birth date to verify a person isn't registered in a sex offender database, according to the release.
This security upgrade is one of several coming to Baltimore County schools, including the addition of school resource officers in all middle and high schools, with regular visits from the officers to elementary schools.
Since fall of 2012, metal detectors are already in use in schools. Read about the metal detector wands.
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