HOUSTON -- A metal detector at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center may not have been working for the past few years. The revelation comes after a 16-year-old suspect managed to sneak a loaded pistol into the building earlier this month, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

Juvenile Probation Director Harvey Hetzel is under fire from juvenile board members. The board told Hetzel to find out who pulled the plug and who knew about it.

"The biggest issue is some supervisor knew that metal detector had been unplugged and let it go," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said.

Local 2 News learned that the detector may have been unplugged for as long as 2 1/2 years. It was moved into the present detention center downtown from the old facility on West Gray in 2006.

A former, fired employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told KPRC that the detector began malfunctioning as soon as it was installed.

He said it was constantly setting off a loud alarm even when no one was near. So, someone pulled the plug.

The source said all of the supervisors knew it was disabled and apparently no one reported it to be repaired.

By phone, Hetzel said he's heard the same story, but has also heard conflicting stories about exactly when and how the detector was disabled.

If it was unplugged for almost three years, Judge Michael Schneider said that means everyone who works in the building has been at risk.

"That's serous. It's not just individuals, it's the institution, and that's the kind of thing that we've got to change, if that's the case," he said.

On Thursday, a new metal detector was installed at the the Detention Center to replace the one that might never have actually worked.

The loaded-weapon incident occurred on Nov. 6 when the 16-year-old was brought to the downtown detention center for probation violations.

Investigators said he smuggled a .25-caliber pistol into his cell after being searched by police and detention center staff.

The pistol was discovered after another inmate alerted guards.