New hospital weapons detector found a knife on day 1: CEO

A new weapons detection system installed at Windsor Regional Hospital on Thursday has already detected its first weapon, the hospital's CEO says. 

David Musyj, CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, said the AI weapon detection system located a pocket knife on the person of someone entering the hospital's Met campus emergency department on Thursday. 

"Was that person going to use that knife for nefarious act? Probably not, but its already working," he said. 

"It's going to be very good to add another layer of safety for patients and their families."

The system was unveiled Wednesday, and uses AI — but not facial recognition — to detect weapons on people attending the emergency department. It means staff, patients and visitors do not have to open their bags or pockets, and is not a metal detector. 

Officials said in a statement the decision to install the system was made with the hospital's joint health and safety committee after instances where weapons were brought into the emergency department, including at least four separate times in the last year involving guns and knives. 

The hospital will spend about $8,000 a year on the systems at both campuses, and it allows them to identify threats without delaying medical care. 

Musyj said other hospitals, like the Mayo Clinic, already use the system.