News and Information

RAPTOR means you must have ID now to enter Charlotte schools
By JASON WITZ, Staff Writer, Charlotte Sun-Herald

8/29/07 – A new identification system will alert staff at Charlotte County school officials within seconds if a visitor doesn't belong around children.

And all it takes is the swipe of a driver's license.

School officials demonstrated the Web-based technology, known as RAPTOR, at today’s School Board workshop.

"Before you can secure a campus, you have to know who belongs," said Steve Cummings, the district's security and emergency management manager. "By having this, we assure people coming on our campus aren't a threat to our students."

The identification system, developed by V-Soft, screens a visitor's driver's license against sexual offender databases from 49 states. Vermont is excluded, because it doesn't have an online registry.

If no match is found, the optical reader scans data from the license and prints it on a visitor badge. The card lists the date and time of the visit, making it difficult to reuse.

"It works so fast," Cummings said.

RAPTOR sends an alert whenever a registered sex offender matches the name or driver's license. Cummings said staff can customize the system to include residents who have been trespassed from the property.

Security personnel are sent a text message or e-mail moments later to come to the main office.

The system costs about $1,800 per unit, with an additional $450 service fee to update the software and provide maintenance. The district plans to install units at each school.

Board members believe the system only strengthens school security.

"I think this is going to be very helpful for our parents and students," said Board Chairwoman Andrea Messina. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our campuses."