TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Leon County Schools has recently renewed their contract with ZeroEyes, adding more of their AI software to their cameras.
- This software can detect guns on campus, all in an effort to improve student safety.
- Safety leaders said weapons seized on campuses has decreased by 58% since December 2022.
- Watch the video below to see how the software works.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Leon County Schools are allocating more resources to be able to spot a weapon before it enters schools. Safety leaders said they have a "comprehensive approach" to safety, including weapons detection dogs, advanced metal detectors, and cameras with AI.
More than 3,000 security cameras exist across the Leon County School District. Some of those have ZeroEyes software that uses AI to detect weapons on campuses.
"We're at a point now, I can't imagine starting a school year without ZeroEyes," said Jimmy Williams, Leon County Schools Chief of Safety, Security, and Emergency Management. "It is not necessarily the solution, but it's part of the overarching comprehensive approach to safe campuses."
Those cameras are monitored here at their safety center 24/7, but Sam Alaimo, with ZeroEyes, said they're also monitored by their staff.
"Everyone in that room is either military or law enforcement," said Alaimo. "They're all very calm under pressure. They're very good at identifying guns. They will then decide, is this or is this not actually a gun? If it is, they will dispatch it. It'll go to local 911. It'll go to school resource officers."
It's software that's helping. Williams said since they launched their school safety initiative in December 2022, including ZeroEyes software and other resources, for total weapons seized, they are down 58%.
"We want to see that decrease continue every year," said Williams. "One weapon on our campus is one too many, and we take that very seriously."
Williams said they've had a cluster of incidents they have responded to recently relating to weapons on campus, but he added that did not deter them; instead, he said they'll crack down on more random searches of schools.
"Stay the course and keep moving in the same direction and decreasing the amount of weapons found on campuses," said Williams. "Our goal is zero, zero weapons on campus."
Leon County Schools monitors cameras 24/7 in their security building.
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