PENNCREST School District in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, has announced it is expanding its use of an AI-based gun detection video analytics platform across its entire district.
The ZeroEyes solution, which holds the US Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, is said to deliver what the company calls a “proactive, human-verified AI gun detection software solution that integrates into existing cameras”. It is designed to mitigate mass shootings and gun-related violence by reducing response times and providing “actionable intelligence”.
The solution was founded by a group of former Navy SEAL team leaders that used “hundreds of thousands” of images and videos to train its AI. It has since been implemented in 19 states across public K-12 districts.
“The Uvalde shooting raised the concerns of many parents in our district, especially because we are a geographically large school district in a rural part of Pennsylvania where improving law enforcement response time is critical,” said Dr. Timothy S. Glasspool, Superintendent, PENNCREST School District.
“ZeroEyes has been proven to improve response time dramatically, which is crucial for saving lives in active shooter situations. We consider their proactive technology to be an indispensable part of our layered security solution, and furthermore, their professionalism, expertise and efficiency have been second to none.”
Layered on top of a school’s existing IP security cameras, ZeroEyes’ software identifies brandished guns and alerts school administrators, safety personnel, and local law enforcement within three to five seconds, according to the vendor. Specialists monitor every detection from the in-house ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC). ZeroEyes says it does not record, store, or share videos or images of students or others, to maintain privacy.
PENNCREST is a mid-sized public school district located in Northwest Pennsylvania. It encompasses 408 acres and consists of six schools: three K-6 elementary schools and three 7-12 high schools.
“School districts like PENNCREST are not just our customers; they are our partners in making the world a safer and better place to live,” said Mike Lahiff, CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes. “PENNCREST is proof that a school can be ‘rural’ while still being on the cutting edge of security technology. We applaud Superintendent Glasspool and the other district decision-makers for their commitment to protecting students and faculty proactively against gun-related violence.”
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