KINGSTON – Recent security breaches, including knives at the Ulster County office building in Kingston, have spurred rapid action by law enforcement, and the county sheriff has unveiled new technologies and procedures aimed at preventing future incidents.
At a law enforcement and the Public Safety Commission meeting, Sheriff Juan Figueroa submitted plans to overhaul admission protocols in the building that houses the county council. The resolution passed by the committee will pave the way for new screening techniques to be installed and piloted at the next full legislative meeting on May 20th.
“We all know what happened here,” Figueroa says, referring to the knife incident. “After this last incident, it’s time to take a different approach.”
The Sheriff’s Office is launching its pilot program using “Evolv,” an artificial intelligence-based weapon detection system already in use at large venues across the country. Unlike traditional metal detectors, Evolv uses sonic-based sensors and analysis to identify potential threats without invasive paddown or bag checks.
“This is not a metal detector,” Figureueroa emphasized in a brief video presentation at the committee meeting. “The security of this building has been greatly improved.”
The Evolv system is designed to identify knives, firearms and other weapons while allowing for smoother flow of people entering the building. It also avoids complications for individuals with pacemakers and implanted medical devices. Lawmakers were told the new system doesn’t use facial recognition or tracking capabilities.
Deputy County executive Jamie Capuano said the new system offers significant benefits, including data analysis, which will help assess security needs in the future. “This is a really smart solution,” Capuano said. “This is something that security guards can monitor and provides practical information.”
While the new technology has been praised by many lawmakers, concerns have been raised about whether additional security measures, including armed personnel, should be considered.
Figueroa responded that hiring more armed agents would require additional budget and training resources, but agreed that the question was debate.
Lawmakers also discussed another resolution that always calls for screening more traditional airport styles. The resolution was ultimately postponed, and committee members agreed to assess the performance of the Evolv Pilot programme before addressing broader measures.
The Evolv system is scheduled to go into operation by May 19th and will be demonstrated at the legislative meeting on May 20th. Sherif Figueroa encouraged lawmakers and the public to “see exactly what we want to do.”
