News and Information

Schools utilizing latest predator protection; 'Raptor' system identifies any sex offender on campus
The Gadsden County Times, Gadsden County, FL, Leslie Roberts

11/16/07 – Gadsden County is getting a new grip on child protection, and it’s called Raptor.

The visitor tracking system is up, operational, and “something we’re proud of,” said Gadsden County Schools Superintendent Reginald James. “It makes me feel better as a superintendent to have it.”

Developed to keep sexual predators off campus at times other students are there and track a visitor’s movement through the day, the Raptor allows administrators to replace paper-based logs they had been using and to produce badges bearing visitors’ identity.

It works like this: A visitor to a school campus office is now required to slide a driver’s license or a state identification card through the Raptor system. Once that happens, the system is able to quickly determine whether the visitor has ever been convicted as a sexual predator and how long the visitor remains on campus.

Debra Rackley, principal of the Gadsden Technical Institute and district director for career tech and adult education, began using Raptor and its accompanying software in late spring.

She has only rave reviews for the new security device.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “In order to provide safety for our students, we wanted to not have to rely on community discussion. We piggybacked on Leon County’s program – it has helped us a lot.”

Rackley, who lobbied for the system to be used district-wide, said she had seen a need for a similar device at the GTI campus, where the minimum student age is 16 and there is no maximum age.

“We were getting a different population of student requesting admission here,” she said.

All visitors to GTI are required to scan their IDs. If one comes up with a violation that would prohibit the visitor from being on campus while other students were there, the Raptor sends an automatic text message to Rackley’s cell phone.

GTI does offer classes to those with a sexual crime on their history on days during which regular classes don’t meet.

“This has helped us a lot, but we don’t want to completely deter people,” she said. “Everyone is entitled to an education.”

After being permitted passage, visitors are given a badge to wear while they are on campus. The system, which sells for around $1,900 in addition to monthly subscription fees, can create logs and generate reports should administrators so wish.

“If you’re thinking in terms of campus security,” Rackley said, “it’s the way to go.”