Small pocketknives and cellphones didn't set it off, but a chunk of metal the size of a pistol did.
A new metal-detecting system was installed at the two entry points at Saracen Casino Resort on Monday, and security officials and others were getting the feel for how the system worked Tuesday by seeing what would and wouldn't set it off. The public was getting used to the system as well.
"Ma'am, may I look in your purse," Jerica Scales, a security officer, asked a woman who had set off one of the devices, which consist of two standing elements and a rubber floor mat that runs between them.
Scales had heard the beep from the system that meant something had been detected, and she then leaned in to look at a computer screen that showed two 3-D images of where the offending item was. In this case, it was the woman's handbag.
"Oh, I have an umbrella in there," the woman said, opening her bag, as Scales inspected the insides.
"Thank you, ma'am," she said. "You're fine."
Arrangements were made to purchase the new Evolv metal-detection system, which includes software upgrades and training, shortly after a shooting in March in the casino's parking lot. One guard was struck by the gunfire but was not seriously injured, and two men have been arrested in the incident.
Carlton Saffa, chief market officer for the casino, said the "six-figure" purchase adds another layer of security to the casino's multilayered system that was already in place.
"The building was safe the day we opened, and it's safe today," Saffa said. "We are simply doing what major venues across the country are doing and that is to enhance our security and give our customers and employees more peace of mind."
Saffa said he was pleased with how the system was operating. The goal, he said, was to be able to detect dangerous items, such as guns, but not to impose on the public with false alarms for items such as cell phones, keys and watches.
"It's peace of mind without the hassle," Saffa said. "It does not harm the guest experience; it enhances it."
Lori Whilllock, the casino's director of security, said the new metal detectors are part of a casino-wide system that includes, among other items, cameras and security detail.
"We don't disclose the number of guards we have," Whillock said, "but they are at all entrances. Some are armed and some aren't, and it's not obvious which ones are armed and which aren't."
Whillock, who has more than three decades in law enforcement, and 22 of those years with the state police, said the casino does extensive background checks on its security detail, with particular attention to those personnel who will be carrying guns. But whether they are armed or not, Whillock said, the guards do more than just walk around observing customers.
"They may help someone who's lost their ticket or left a purse somewhere or misplaced their cellphone," Whillock said. "They may even help someone who is having medical issues. There are just a lot of things we do."
John Riley, an Evolv security system representative, was at the casino on Monday and Tuesday making sure the new equipment was operating properly. He and Whillock also were involved in training all security personnel on the new devices.
To show off how the new system works, Riley got a fake weapon, which was a heavy piece of metal that was roughly in the shape of a pistol. Saffa put the device behind his belt and then stuck it down in the top of one of his boots before walking through the detectors. In both instances, the system triggered, allowing Shanell Triplett, a security officer, to see on a computer screen where the device was.
Triplett said customers have reacted positively to the new addition and have told her the screening system makes them feel more secure. One customer triggered the system because the person had a knife, Triplett said, and without any objection, the person took the item to the car and returned.
When the system does detect something that is inadmissible, Whillock said, the security team is directed to "politely and respectfully" ask the offender to take the item out of the building. If the person refuses, he is asked to leave the premises, she said.
Even people with concealed-carry permits cannot take weapons inside the casino, Whillock said. Only law enforcement officers carrying proper identification are allowed to take guns inside, she said.
Riley said that as part of the Evolv's agreement, the company pushes out quarterly software updates. He said that "nuisance alarms," which are those that do not involve a banned item, will become fewer and fewer through the use of artificial intelligence that learns over time what is and isn't a dangerous item. The installation at Saracen, he said, is the first one for his company in the state.
Asked if there were other security upgrades in store for Saracen, both Whillock and Saffa said officials were always looking for improvements in how to conduct business.
"If there's a better way to cook a steak, we'll find it," Saffa said. "If there's a better way to secure the floor, we'll find it. It's a function of our business."
As he was talking, the lights on the security system flashed and beeped, and Triplett approached the woman who had set it off when she walked between the posts.
Finding another umbrella, Triplett smiled and set the woman on her way into the casino.
Asked what she thought of the new system, the woman, who declined to give her name, said she appreciated the additional security measure.
"It made me feel OK," she said. "I feel safe."