Identifying Sex Offenders with Stonington Schools Security System

Written and reported by Ellyn Santiago.

In an email sent to families last week, Stonington Public Schools sought to explain (to both curious and uninformed parents) what the Raptor Security System is and why it’s being used in the elementary, middle and high school.

Patch went online and checked out the Raptor website which made it immediately clear – the system is designed to keep sex offenders out of schools. According to the website, there are more than 700,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S. 

And while one can actually enter a building without going through the screening, no one can get past any main office without showing positive photo ID which is then scanned to see if the person pops up on the national sex offender database. 

Here’s the district’s FAQ on the system: 

What is the Raptor Security System?The Raptor Security System is a visitor management system that is used to protect the students, faculty, and visitors at the schools. It reads the visitor’s driver’s license and compares that information to a sex offender database. It will alert school administrators if a match is found. Assuming that is not a match; the system will print a visitor badge, which includes a photo to be worn while the visit continues. It can be scanned out as well which will lead to accountability of who is in the building in the case of an evacuation for any reason.

Why is Stonington Public Schools using the Raptor System?
Safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Period. The system will provide a consistent way to track visitors and volunteers while keeping away people who present a danger to students and staff members.

Who is scanned and how does it work?
All visitors wanting access to move past the school’s main office will need to present a valid driver’s license to be scanned using this system. The information scanned and used is as follows: visitor name, date of birth, and a photo for comparison. This is compared to a national database for sex offenders.

What if a visitor does not have an identification card or driver’s license?
Visitor’s will not gain access to the school during school hours without presenting a driver’s license, identification card, work VISA or green card.

Besides sex offender data, is there any other data compared?
No. This is not a background search. This information is not sold or shared with any outside resources.

What if a “hit” on the system occurs? What is the protocol?
The staff member scanning the I.D. will contact a member of administration immediately to confirm that the information is correct. No identified visitor with a positive “hit” will be allowed into the building without an escort.

Does the school have the right to require visitors, even parents, to produce I.D. before entering a building?
Yes. The school needs to be sure who is visiting the facility and why they are there. The primary obligation is to keep students and staff safe in all circumstances.