New AI technology looks to detect guns in WNY schools

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Artificial intelligence is one of the latest tools being used in Western New York schools to combat gun violence.

ZeroEyes is a software that connects to existing security cameras and monitors streaming video feeds. It has the ability to detect firearms in a matter of seconds. It's currently in place at Grand Island schools and is making its way into schools in Niagara Falls and the Frontier School District.

Following the Parkland shooting in 2018, a team of retired Navy SEALs asked themselves how an incident could be avoided before it breaks out. Some of them had children who were tired of preparing for somebody to walk into their school with a gun with the intent to kill.

"We asked the school what they were doing with their security cameras. The answer was nothing," said Sam Alaimo, co-founder of ZeroEyes. "If a car is stolen, they look backwards. If there is a mass shooting hypothetically, they'll be looking at it after the fact."

This is what inspired them to create this AI software. So, how exactly does it work?

There is an operating center that former military and law enforcement personnel are constantly overseeing. When the algorithm detects something that looks like a gun, live video feed is shown. A person then verifies if there is a threat and hits a dispatch button that immediately calls 911 and the client.

"In the real world, when a gun is exposed in front of a security camera, local law enforcement and school administration will get that alert in three to five seconds," Alaimo said. "You get a still frame image with the shooter, the type of weapon, the location, and the time the shooter was there."

Sam Radford, a board member of the National Parents Union, said if there's access to technology that can make schools safer, this should be implemented everywhere in Western New York.

"I think anything at this point to make sure our children come home alive, we have to be looking at it," Radford said. "We have to be invested in it."

WIVB News 4 also asked Radford about the no phone policy being implemented in several districts across the nation.

Lackawanna schools is one of those districts, looking to limit student distractions and improve mental health. Radford said in case of tragedies, like the school shooting that happened Wednesday in Georgia, parents will want their kids to have their cell phones in class.

"Could you imagine being a parent in Georgia today and you hear about a shooting, and you don't know what's going on with your child?" Radford said. "We have to come up with solutions that are better than just banning something."