Cobb County Superior Court installs new advance technology to help keep citizens safe

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — There will now be a new X-ray machine at the Cobb County Superior Court that will have the ability to detect explosives.

Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell broke down how it all works on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. Thursday.

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The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office is using advanced technology to improve security inside the Cobb County Superior Court building.

Hundreds of visitors approach the checkpoint on any given day.

“Just like at the airport, they’ll put their property into the property bin. They’ll place it on the rollers,” Maj. Rick Petrie told Newell. “As people come past the X-ray machine, their property will come past. We have this plexiglass up so if there is a weapon it keeps people from reaching over and grabbing the weapon.”

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If a weapon is detected, Petrie said they are prepared.

“These rollers will roll the property to the far side of the X-ray machine to the next conveyer belt so it puts it even further away from the person who owns the property,” Petrie said.

The X-ray machine also detects explosives.

“If the artificial intelligence within the X-ray machine detects explosives or a component of explosives in the property, it will alert the person monitoring the machine, and they’ll notify the deputy and we will detain the person,” Petrie said.

Deputies began using the machine on Wednesday.

“Just last year, we conducted over 77,000 screenings at this checkpoint alone. We discovered over 600 weapons with our older equipment that had older technology. So we’re looking forward to discovering more weapons,” Petrie said.

The X-ray machine at the checkpoint in the magistrate court will be replaced with the new machine in September.

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