The Michigan State Capitol Commission plans to install security screening devices to enforce an anticipated ban on all firearms in the building.
The open carry of guns was banned several years ago after armed protesters entered the state Capitol in 2020 and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Commission Chair William Kandler said the new technology will be placed at public entrances of the building.
Visitors will be able to pass through the fixtures like an airport metal detector, but Kandler said these devices are more advanced.
“It detects things even like a plastic weapon made by a 3D printer,” he said. “We’ve seen some demonstrations it's pretty effective picking people out that have things they're carrying.”
Kandler said the new policy and security are needed to keep people safe.
“As all the school districts around the state are securing their buildings, I'd like to be able to say to the teachers and parents when they come here, ‘When your kids come to the Capitol building, they're at least as safe here as they are in your school building,’” he said.
Kandler said there has been an increase in demand for the detectors, so he’s not sure when the commission will be able to get them yet.
He said once the new detectors are installed, the ban will go into effect, but there’s no date set yet.
