How to Select AI Gun Detection Solutions for Schools

In recent years, school shootings have become a deadly daily occurrence in the US. Since 2018, there have been over 100 incidents each year, highlighting a uniquely American crisis that demands urgent action.

One of the high-profile tragedies occurred at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, where 17 individuals lost their lives. The tragedies at Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Uvalde serve as other reminders of the vulnerability of our schools and the urgent necessity for effective response measures. Even with a swift response from the law enforcement, it is often impossible to prevent life loss. The recent tragedy at Apalachee High School in 2024 vividly illustrates that. It resulted in four lives lost and nine individuals wounded.

Besides the immediate emotional and physical toll, school shootings cause long-lasting trauma, affecting students’ academic performance and mental health. Parents, students and educators are concerned about student safety and inability of educational establishment to protect students and staff from gun violence. Active shooter drills and lockdowns do work, but alone they are not sufficient to prevent these tragic events.

AI technology to stop school shootings in its tracks

Advanced AI technologies step in with visual weapon detection solutions to fill the gaps in traditional methods of active shooter response and prevention. By integrating AI-based gun detection systems into existing video surveillance schools gain an effective tool to identify potential threats and take action before they escalate.

This technology uses sophisticated algorithms to identify weapons through analyzing video feeds in real-time and alerting law enforcement and personnel as soon as a firearm is detected, saving crucial time and lives. Gun detection systems monitor multiple zones within a school campus without fatigue, unlike human counterparts, providing uninterrupted security coverage. So, no critical event will go missing. Moreover, AI can help reduce false positives, a common challenge in security procedures. Through the refinement of detection algorithms AI-powered security systems learn to differentiate between actual threats and benign objects. Another important benefit is the fact that utilizing this technology allows enhancing safety without disrupting the educational environment.

Key facts about school shootings

Sometimes the central issues can be obscured, making it difficult to distinguish between facts and hearsay. To select the right solution for your school, you should be aware of the key facts about school shootings:

● Many school shootings do not fall under the category of "active shooter" scenarios but are instead disputes between students. ● School shootings most often occur outside the school building itself. ● Most school shootings use handguns, which underscores the need for detection systems that can accurately identify smaller, more easily concealed weapons. ● Active shooter events are normally very brief with 69% ending in less than five minutes. ● Two-thirds of active shooter incidents are over by the time law enforcement arrives. This highlights the importance of fast detection and response to prevent loss of life.

Considerations when selecting a gun detection solution

When considering AI video analytics, schools must prioritize systems with real-time monitoring and threat detection capabilities, which can provide early warnings and facilitate rapid response. However, there are some other crucial factors to consider. Ask these questions to make the most effective investment in an AI security solution:

● Does the solution use AI, or does it still rely on a human operator for validation of detections? The most effective solutions are those that rely solely on AI for detection, without the need for human validation. This autonomous detection minimizes delays and reduces the chances of oversight, leading to faster response times.

● Can the solution address varied school security challenges or is it a “one trick pony”? While considering an AI-powered gun detection solution, schools must ensure the chosen system aligns effectively with their physical security needs. Prioritize solutions that go beyond gun detection and can effectively identify vandalism, knife violence, fights, trespassing or fires.

● Can the solution accurately detect weapons in challenging conditions? Since most shootings are outside the school, the solution must work in varying lighting conditions and be able to detect weapons from difficult camera angles, such as entrances and parking lots.

● Does the solution integrate with your existing security infrastructure? Schools need to ensure that their existing video surveillance and access control systems are compatible with the AI tools they intend to deploy.

● Is the technology scalable? As schools expand or modify their campuses, the security systems must easily adapt without substantial reinvestment.

● Can the vendor provide tests demonstrating the accuracy of the solution? Opt for a solution with low false positive rates (misidentifying innocuous objects as weapons) and low false negative rates (failing to detect actual weapons). Advanced systems trained on vast datasets can reliably distinguish weapons from everyday items like phones, pencil cases, and more.

● Is the system adaptable? The evolving nature of threats necessitates that AI systems can learn from patterns and data, adapting to new threats as they arise. So, select a system that is updated regularly with the latest advancements and is continuously enhancing detection precision and reliability.

● Is the system easy to learn and use? Training security personnel and staff on the operation of these AI systems is vital for effective implementation. Schools should ensure that the solution is user-friendly, intuitive and easy to operate.

● Is the solution affordable, or is the price inflated? Although AI security solutions offer long-term benefits and safety assurances, schools must weigh these against the initial investment and ongoing operational costs. It’s crucial to find a cost-effective solution that can be scaled to cover multiple cameras, providing broader coverage without sacrificing quality.

● Is the solution competitive? Some vendors may attempt to bypass competitive evaluation processes to favour of their own products, which can limit access to solutions that may be more effective, innovative, or cost-efficient.