EAST MOLINE, Ill. — The Silvis School District has a new tool this year to protect kids from gun violence.
Both Northeast Junior High School and George O. Barr Elementary school are now using ZeroEyes, an AI system for detecting firearms.
The system uses the school's existing security cameras, which can send alerts to school administration through computer and phone apps within a few seconds of a possible firearm being identified.
"If it can see at least half of a complete gun, then it will be able to detect that and send us an alert," superintendent Terri VandeWiele said.
When a possible gun is detected, ex-military operators at a 24/7/365 national center can determine if it's a false-positive, or if local 911 assistance is needed. They can also relay information about the suspect's appearance and location to authorities.
"If you look at what has happened in previous school shootings, one of the big issues is that they don't know where the intruder is located," VandeWiele said. "Because it provides us with screenshots via text, we have a running record of exactly where that person is within a school building, if they ever were able to get in."
VandeWiele said it's an added layer of safety on top of regular drills and their security officers.
"Time matters. This is going to provide minutes that could be the difference for one of our students or staff," she said.
The system costs about $24,000 per year for the school district. ZeroEyes is currently used across 19 states in K-12 schools, colleges, private businesses, shopping centers and more.