Just the Facts

FACT: Prohibited items, including weapons, have been known to get through metal detectors and other weapons screening technologies. No technology is 100% perfect. Therefore, a layered approach that includes people, process and technology is used to help mitigate risk.

FACT: Evolv Express® systems detected and stopped more than 176,000 weapons from entering places where people gathered in 2022 – including over 90,000 guns and over 80,000 knives.

Examples:

• Weapons detection system put to test at a city school (Buffalo, NY)
• Student tried to run after body scanner detected loaded gun in backpack at Ragsdale High School, sheriff’s office says (Jamestown, NC)
• Man charged with having handgun at Clayton Middle School (Clayton, NC)
• Man impersonating an officer was arrested for bringing weapon to child's elementary school (Johnston County, NC)
• Firearm found at Chambers High School, first at CMS this year; juvenile arrested (Charlotte, NC)
• Gun found at South Mecklenburg High is 3rd at CMS campus this year, district says (Charlotte, NC)
• Body scanner finds loaded gun at Berry Academy, CMS says (Charlotte, NC)
• Student arrested after gun found in backpack (Champaign, Ill)
  

FACT: Evolv Express is the only advanced weapons detection screening system to receive the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SAFETY Act Designation as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology. 

FACT: The NCS⁴ Evolv operational exercise was conducted in 2021. Since then, Evolv has released four software upgrades to its AI-based system and continues to release upgrades on a regular basis. The NCS⁴ exercise program process can be viewed here.

FACT: By design, the NCS⁴ operational exercise program allows experts to observe technology capabilities in a sports environment. School customers test and/or review our systems in school environments.

FACT: The NCS⁴ operational exercise program has an associated fee for all manufacturers completing the process.

FACT: Evolv did not manipulate results of a third-party report to make the results appear better.

FACT: Screening technologies should be tested in live, real-world scenarios by security experts who have experience securing venues and the people in them. Not in labs by people without real world, weapons detection expertise. 

FACT: Evolv shares all aspects of the Evolv Express system – including limitations and capabilities – with our customers, partners, and prospects – not the general public.

FACT: Security professionals know that releasing details of weapons detection to the public, known in the security industry as SSI (Sensitive Security Information), is irresponsible and puts our customers, their visitors, and the public at risk. Why give bad actors that advantage?

Q: Does Evolv provide a false sense of security?

Evolv detected and stopped more than 176,000 weapons from entering places where people gathered in 2022 – including over 90,000 guns and over 80,000 knives. That is not a false sense of security. That is a fact.

Example: Student tried to run after body scanner detected loaded gun in backpack at Ragsdale High School, sheriff’s office says

It is important for the general public to understand, as security professionals do, that there is no perfect solution that will stop 100% of threats, including ours, which is why security must include a layered approach that involves people, processes, and technologies.

Today, there is nothing to put an end to the tragic reality of gun violence. At Evolv, we are driven to be part of the solution. To offer an added layer of safety in a dignified way.  We feel that reducing any amount of risk is better than doing nothing. Weapons detection is not perfect, but it adds a layer of protection that can help deter, detect and mitigate risk. We will continue working to do better in our mission to make the world safer for people to live, work, learn and play.  

What is the NCS⁴ Operational Exercise Program?

The NCS⁴ facilitates operational exercises for technology solution providers. As part of the operational exercise, the NCS⁴ assembles a team with the requisite expertise, identifies appropriate sites for the exercise, generates relevant scenarios, and simulates end-user interaction to provide constructive feedback for developers and interested parties. By design, the demonstration and exercise allows experts to observe stated capabilities in an operational or simulated environment. The NCS⁴ exercise program process can be viewed here.

When did Evolv participate in the NCS⁴ operational exercise program?

The NCS⁴ Evolv operational exercise was conducted in October 2021. Since then, Evolv has released four software upgrades to the AI-based system and continues to release upgrades on a regular basis – all included in our subscription-based model.

Did Evolv edit the NCS⁴ operational exercise report to alter the scores?

No. Evolv followed the same protocol all vendors are required to follow and reference.

As per standard practice in the operational exercise process, commentary was provided by Evolv and questions were asked for clarification.

There were no alterations to scores. 

Why did Evolv release a public NCS⁴ operational exercise report that is different from the full report?

Evolv provided an abbreviated version of the report as part of our announcement to the security industry.

Customers and prospects, including those professionals making decisions for school security, can access the full NCS⁴ operational exercise report under NDA. We do not make the full report public as releasing details of a security system or process puts the public at risk. 

This is a best practice well known in the security industry, notably the TSA. The TSA carefully guards Sensitive Security Information (SSI) to keep the public safe. SSI is information that, if publicly released, would be detrimental to transportation security, as defined by Federal Regulation 49 C.F.R. Part 1520. 

Communicating about weapons detection security requires a delicate balance between educating stakeholders on new technology and not providing bad actors with the information they could use to do harm.  

Did Evolv pay for the NCS⁴ operational exercise and set the criteria?

The NCS⁴ operational exercise program has an associated fee for all manufacturers completing the process. The NCS⁴ works with solution providers to define exercise criteria and objectives to ensure criteria is applicable to the operational environment.

Is paying for an evaluation, observation, or testing of technology capabilities common practice?

In order to adequately run the extensive level of real-world testing required for weapons detection screening technology, it is often necessary and standard for third-party testing vendors to require payment from manufacturers. 

Why did Evolv say it can detect all the weapons and create weapons-free zones?  Isn’t this misleading the public?

We wholeheartedly believe in our technology and our mission and deeply regret if any of our past statements confused or appeared to generalize our capabilities at the time.

Taking screening technology to the mainstream is a very delicate balance of making the public aware of its capabilities and keeping information out of the hands of bad actors. No technology that exists in the world is 100% foolproof.

When it comes to physical security, three things need to be working effectively together all the time: people, process and technology in order to mitigate risk.  

Why won’t you let IPVM test your technology?

For two reasons:

First, screening technologies should be tested in live, real-world scenarios by security experts who have experience securing venues and the people in them. Not in labs by people without real world, weapons detection expertise. 

Second, IPVM has told us that the general public should have access to detailed security information about our systems. In doing so, they may show bad actors how to circumvent the process. We, and security professionals, fundamentally disagree with IPVM and know that making such SSI (sensitive security information) available to the general public is irresponsible and puts people at risk.

This is a best practice well known in the security industry, notably the TSA. The TSA carefully guards SSI to keep the public safe. SSI is information that, if publicly released, would be detrimental to transportation security, as defined by Federal Regulation 49 C.F.R. Part 1520.  

Is Evolv being sued?

There are certain law firms that have been publicly advertising for shareholders interested in being part of a potential class action suit. This is a common practice for these types of firms. We are not aware of any lawsuits that have been filed by such firms or shareholders against the company.

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