See how AI is used for security in the Columbus City Services Center
Visitors to the Columbus City Services Center in Columbus will encounter a new security system powered by artificial intelligence as the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office steps up security in the building where the Columbus Council meets and high-traffic agencies such as election and vehicle registration are located.
Public entrance into the building has changed, Maj. Curtis Lockette of the MCSO told the Ledger-Enquirer, with the public now needing to enter through the garage walkway entrance. The front entrance, facing the Columbus Public Library, will remain accessible for only employees with valid ID badges.
“It was a checkpoint there years ago under a previous sheriff,” Lockette said. “And, out of concern for employees and citizens that come into the building, (Sheriff Greg Countryman) decided we needed to have a checkpoint there.”
This concern was not due to any specific incidents, Lockette said. If it were possible, he said, the sheriff would have checkpoints at all city buildings.
“We know that there are lots of people who go in and out of the building daily,” Lockette said. “And employees need to be safe while they’re there. This is one measure that we take to make sure that happens.”
The security checkpoint is powered by the AI system Evolv.
“It’s not like the one you see at the (Columbus) Government Center,” he said. “It’s a lot faster process, and it will detect weapons and other items that could be used for bomb making, explosives and things like that.”
A computer tablet is attached to the system that alerts deputies where they need to look and whether they need to pull someone out of line for more checks.
“It has nothing to do with facial recognition,” Lockette said. “It’s all about detecting things that can be considered weapons.”
This system is used at the Piedmont Columbus Regional midtown hospital and some schools in Georgia, he said. It’s not invasive. Visitors don’t need to put their belongings through an X-ray machine or be scanned by the wand like they do in other buildings, Lockette said.
There are no restrictions on the types of bags or belongings people may bring inside, he said.
His team can input the parameters they want, Lockette said, and AI will help them see what can’t be seen with the naked eye.
“You come in,” he said, “and the software equipment detects what’s inside your bag. If UPS brings a box, it can detect if it’s metal in the box and different shapes and sizes.”
No weapons nor anything that can be considered a weapon are allowed in the building, Lockette said.
“I’ve seen it at work,” he said. “And it’s very accurate.”
The parameters can be changed if the system is stopping too many people or gives a false alert, Lockette said.
When a false alert from the AI happens, he said, people should not be concerned about an “overly dramatic” reaction, Lockette said. If the AI detects something, that person will be asked to step out of the line for more security checks.
It cost $132,000 to implement the system, Lockette said. This includes the cost of the equipment, training, shipping and installation, he said.
“Citizens can come there now and feel safe in an environment where they should be safe,” he said.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
