Unused metal detectors from Acrisure Stadium to be donated to Leechburg schools
Leechburg Area School District plans to boost security thanks to a sharp-eyed school security officer and the generosity of officials at Acrisure Stadium.
Mike Kapustik, a security guard at Leechburg schools, recently noticed unused metal detectors inside a storage area during a visit to Acrisure Stadium.
“One of our security guards saw them and inquired about possibly donating them to our district, and it happened,” said school board member Candi Stewart. “It’s great to have staff that works toward our school, even when out and about.”
Acrisure donated four metal detectors to the district on Jan. 10.
A pickup and delivery date hasn’t been scheduled, and the district will be responsible for maintenance or upkeep related to the stand-alone, walk-through detectors.
Superintendent Tiffany Nix praised the security guard’s initiative and described the donation as “amazing.”
“I can’t say enough good things about our firm, Bramlet Security,” Nix said. “In times where budgeting is a concern and safety is always our top priority, this forward-thinking from our guard really made a difference. We truly appreciate it.”
Nix said district officials are reviewing where the detectors will be placed.
“We think it will be for the football fields. We’re creating a new safety plan for football events,” Nix said. “I don’t have any details yet, as the plan is still being reviewed.”
District officials stressed that the acceptance of the detectors wasn’t because of any uptick in crime.
“We don’t have a crime issue,” board Vice President Andrew Pallus said Tuesday. “This donation of the detectors is just another level of added security.”
Pallus said the district got two detectors following an April 2016 incident in which a 13-year-old student was accused of taking a loaded .45-caliber pistol to school.
No one was injured, and the boy was charged as a juvenile.
In response to that incident, the school board created a safety committee and installed the two metal detectors at campus entrances.
The new units will be delivered from Acrisure Stadium to the school at no charge.
The most recent gun-related incident at an area high school stadium occurred in May 2022 at Jeannette’s McKee Stadium, where a shot was fired into the ground while two men were having a confrontation during youth football games there. No injuries were reported, but the games were canceled.
Before that, in September 2019, one man was killed in a shooting outside McKee Stadium during a high school football game. The shooter in that incident, who claimed self-defense, was sentenced to 11 to 25 years in prison.
In 2018, Nix and the board approved the installation of bulletproof windows at David Leech Elementary School.
“I have to praise the board for allowing that project. I just recommend, and they approved all of the safety upgrades,” Nix said.
Stewart said extra security measures are a positive move for the district.
“Any additional means of ensuring the continued safety of our students and staff is always welcome,” she said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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