SAMANTHA JOSEPH / HOMETOWN NEWS - 9/18/2009

MARTIN COUNTY - A new security system installed at all Martin County public schools scans visitor identification cards for comparison against a national database of sexual offenders.

The V-Soft system, by Houston-based Raptor Technologies, collects names and date-of-birth information each time it scans a government-issued identification card.

The system then compares the names and birth dates against Raptor's national sex offenders' database.

It sends an e-mail alert to designated district staff, administrators and law enforcement officers assigned to each school, if it finds a confirmed match.

"If it keeps our kids safe, I'm for it," said Stuart parent Bea McDonald about the $16,919 system installed at 23 sites in the county's elementary, middle and high schools. The new system costs the district about $736 annually, or about $61 monthly per school.

In most schools, the system is in the administrative office or guard house, and compliments the district's attempts to create a single point for entry for visitors wishing to access campuses, said Cathy Brennan, Martin County School District's public information officer.

It does not affect parents or others picking or dropping off students outside of school hours.

"The decision to implement the V-Soft system is a proactive measure," Ms. Brennan said. "It provides an additional measure of security for our students and teachers."

The software conducts each check in less than 30 seconds, and captures the photograph on the identification card for use on a temporary badge for each visitor. The pass also lists the visitor's destination on campus.

The system then stores the data and photograph so visitors don't have to scan their identification cards on each trip to a local school. However, it runs a new check against the sex offenders' database each time it issues a visitor's pass.

The system stirred controversy earlier this year in Texas after parents at Lake Travis Independent School District filed a lawsuit, claiming it violated their privacy and several other constitutional rights, according to news reports.

But Ms. Brennan said she'd heard only positive feedback from local parents.

"It's a secured system and it's not shared with any other groups," she said.

"We believe our families will embrace the system because it provides an extra level of security, so we know exactly who's visiting our schools."

NOTE FROM RAPTOR TECHNOLOGIES: The pricing information in this article is inaccurate. Please call for current pricing.