Charles County MD. installing AI gun detection software at schools
Charles County MD March 17 2023 School buildings in Charles County will soon be equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) system meant to detect guns on school campuses.
According to Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) officials, the school system is installing a gun detection software to enhance external school cameras as part of a new county safety initiative.
The technology, which uses a three-step verification process to recognize guns, will be paired with an emergency alert system that would allow a response within seconds of a gun being detected.
The system would alert CCPS officials, police, and other necessary first responders about the presence of a gun.
Authorities say a 9-year-old student at a Charles County elementary school brought a knife into class and threatened a classmate Tuesday.
Officials say the system will continuously monitor a school’s external cameras, and once a gun is detected, an alert will be sent to a monitoring center and school safety officials. The alert will provide first responders with videos, images and location details of where the gun was detected.
CCPS officials say the software does not use facial recognition to protect the privacy of students and staff, and the live video feed would never leave school buildings.
CCPS director of school safety and security Jason Stoddard says the gun detection system will be vital for schools.
“Through system alerts, we will be able to notify police more quickly of a possible safety concern and place a school or campus in an emergency code faster. The technology provides advance warning before a situation occurs,” Stoddard said.
A Charles County teacher has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor and child pornography, according to the sheriff’s office.
CCPS is currently in the process of installing the software at the 37 schools across the county. Officials expect the system to be active at all school buildings by the end of this school year.
The cost of the installing the software is funded by the Maryland Center for School Safety’s School Safety Grant Funding program.
