To improve school safety, an Arkansas school district plans to install more than 1,500 cameras in schools and administrative buildings to monitor students for potential threats.
The Fort Smith Public School District will use artificial intelligence-based weapon detection cameras starting in the 2024-2025 school year after partnering with a company called ZeroEyes.
Martin Mahan, the district’s assistant superintendent, said the AI software will first be installed outside school buildings and used with existing surveillance cameras placed in strategic locations on campus. 40/29 report. Video footage is instantly sent to AI software to detect objects, such as guns, used by individuals. If a weapon is detected, the AI immediately alerts the system user.
“School districts, schools, and even some smaller schools have several camera systems installed.The unique capabilities of these camera systems allow us to keep track of threats and pinpoint their location. ‘It’s a threat,’ Mahan said. “Unfortunately, in these types of events, every second counts, so anything we can add to buy seconds for our students and staff is another level of threat mitigation.”
The new weapon detection system will cost the district about $156,000 a year for the next six years. Funding will come from existing operating budget funds, but the district hopes to receive a grant to cover some of the cost.
Perhaps concerning, the superintendent noted that the system would be overseen by a third party, not by school or district officials.
“It works with our existing cameras, and the actual weapon detection system is monitored by a third party, so we don’t have to deploy personnel,” Mahan continued.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBVwd4Hf6ao
ZeroEyes says surveillance footage is analyzed in real-time to identify potential threats.
“That video will be sent for analysis to a group of trained individuals with law enforcement and military backgrounds who will evaluate it and determine if it is a real threat to staff or students. and immediately notify us,” Mahan explained.
Company’s Website says its system provides “a proactive, human-verified, visual gun detection and situational awareness solution that integrates with existing digital security cameras to stop mass shootings and gun-related violence.” It was explained that.
The company said it was developed by a team of Navy SEALs in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting.
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