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 in early 2021 after armed protesters entered the state Capitol in 2020 and the January 6th insurrection.
Commission Chair William Kandler says the new technology will be placed at public entrances of the building.
Visitors will be able to pass through the fixtures like a metal detector, but these devices are more advanced.
"It detects things even like a plastic weapon made by a 3D printer," he said. "It's pretty effective picking people out that have things they're carrying."
Kandler says 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 says there has been an increase in demand for the detectors, so he’s not yet sure when the commission will be able to get them.
He says once the new detectors are installed, the ban will go into effect, but there’s no date set yet.
