How security upgrades are working at the Columbus Zoo
POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) -- New security upgrades at the Columbus Zoo are in full effect.
Thousands of people are experiencing the change as visitors come for the Halloween fun. NBC4 Investigates first showed you the new system in June, now we are checking back in to see how it’s working.
The EVOLV system keeps out unwanted objects, like weapons, and the numbers show it’s working.
"It's our new guest entry security pavilion," Columbus Zoo Director of Safety and Security Steven Langton said. "So, we have two EVOLV systems that all guests and employees will come through each morning. And essentially, what it does is it screens each guest, employee for threats to make sure they're not bringing the things that we don't allow into the zoo."
It opened in August and since then the EVOLV system has kept out 94 guns and 231 knives.
"The setting we have it on now at the zoo is picking up all the things we're looking for," Langton said. "So, we're happy again with the results and what we're getting out of it."
In June, NBC4 Investigates showed you that security experts have looked into the EVOLV system and say the sliding scale of sensitivity can cause issues: on one end is security and on the other is convenience.
The zoo says it has worked with EVOLV for years, it was over at Zoombezi Bay before the zoo. They sought to find the sensitivity setting that works for them.
"We've played around with it quite a bit," Langton said. "So, we started it out really, really strong, found out that was too strong. So, we eased it up, raised it up a little bit too much, and now we're kind of right in the middle."
Guests we spoke with say they like the added steps.
"I appreciate it because they checked the backpack and just made sure that there was nothing dangerous in it," Stephanie Burrough, who visited from Alabama, said. "But yeah, I appreciate the extra steps for security."
"For 100 years, almost 100 years, the zoo's been open, people have been free to carry in whatever they want," Langton said. "Even though we've had these policies in place, this is just an additional layer of security that we have now to help ensure that everybody inside is safe and we're keeping the things out that we want."
Some items that might set off the system include hard sunglasses cases and umbrellas. If these set off the system, the staff will check your bag and then send you on your way.