January 13, 2026, 10:58 PM EST. Baltimore City Schools' Evolv AI weapons-detection system, installed in 27 high schools, drew scrutiny from the Public Safety Committee over costs and frequent false alarms. The district approved more than $5 million for the system, which processes about 14,000 morning entries daily; roughly 30% trigger alerts, most for innocuous items such as laptops, cans and water bottles. No weapons were detected last year; this year a BB gun was flagged. Council members questioned sole-source contracting and whether the district is using all the system's capabilities, while administrators said they opted out of facial recognition. A 2025 FTC settlement reports concerns about accuracy. A October 2025 false alarm at Kenwood High-mistaking a chip bag for a weapon-spurred review. Officials plan to review contracts as concerns persist.
