Brazosport ISD cameras can detect guns using artificial intelligence, notifying police in seconds

BRAZOSPORT, Texas (KTRK) -- Security cameras at Brazosport ISD can now detect a gun on campus and notify law enforcement in seconds, according to the software company.

The district is using artificial intelligence software called ZeroEyes.

When a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde last year, it started conversations at BISD about what more could be done for safety.

"We would do anything and everything we need to do to keep us safe," said BISD Police Chief Wade Nichols, who worked with other law enforcement to partner with ZeroEyes.

The company says through software updates, the cameras are constantly scanning for weapons. When a gun is detected, it will alert company experts at the command center within seconds.

"Somebody is out there watching, helping us watch our back while we take care of the staff and students," Nichols said.

One challenge with the software is false positives - cameras detecting something that's not a gun.

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To avoid sending police out when there's no real danger, employees watching for alerts 24/7 must verify it's an actual gun and notify police.

"Once it's been verified, then we can respond," Tyrone Morrow, BISD's director of security, said

ZeroEyes said it takes about three seconds from the time a gun enters the frame of a camera to notify the police.

Morrow said a student or teacher calling 911 could take longer.

"There is a stagnated period of time that somebody sees it to the time they make notification," Morrow said. "We don't have time to waste."

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Before partnering with the company, the district had other measures in place that would put the school on lockdown when needed.

But the challenge was just one person in charge of watching all the district's cameras at once.

"There's no way that that one person can catch everything on those cameras," Nichols said. "So, you're kind of in a reactive state. You're waiting for something to happen, then find it, and then start making phone calls."

The software is now running in hundreds of cameras throughout the district and leaders are planning to add the software to even more cameras over time.