Gun Detection Tech Using Artificial Intelligence Placed In Charles Co. Schools

Charles County, Maryland. Charles County Public Schools has approximately 1,700 security cameras. But who really watches them?

"We're not a casino, we don't have large rooms full of cameras and someone watching them all the time, and that's not a viable option," explained Jason Stoddard, director of safety at The Charles School. neighborhood school.

After last year's shooting in Uvalda, Texas, he and his team spent six months looking for ways to improve security.

That's how they got to know Omnellert.

CEO Dave Fraser talked about the new technology that can detect weapons in less than a second.

"It's just an AI that watches the cameras that are there. So, it controls the image of the cameras, and unlike humans, it never takes a break. It works 24/7," Fraser said.

This is where people come to help. The system immediately sends an alert to schools and first responders with a photo of the potential shooter and its exact location.

The school and police can then determine if the threat is real and take action.

"So if you look at the footage from Parkland at Topps Market in Uvalde, you'll see that in all of these situations the shooter was clearly visible beforehand on the security cameras," Frazier said.

The key here, according to Frazier, is to spot the weapon before it reaches the school.

"Most incidents involving active shooting occur outside buildings — about 70 percent of them are in reality," Fraser explained.

AI now works full time in Charles County schools. Equipment is installed and ready for the start of the school year.

Because it complements existing safety regulations, Stoddard says it's the most effective way to improve student safety.

"It's a fairly easy-to-announce fruit. It's a win-win for everyone. There are no ethical issues with it, it's not a recording, it doesn't use facial recognition," Stoddard said.

Omnilert started implementing this technology about a year ago, and it is already in use in hundreds of schools. The CEO expects that number to grow into the thousands very quickly.

AI Weapon Detection (Phase I)