Proactive rather than reactive in dealing with gun violence

Gun violence is a plague on our society. Everyone knows this sad reality. According to Omnilert, there were 346 shooting incidents on school grounds in 2023, which is a 2,200 percent increase since 2010. Firearms are now the number one cause of death for children in the United States, exceeding motor vehicle deaths. So far this year alone, there have been at least 48 mass shootings in the United States, with 81 killed and 165 wounded, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In a mass shooter situation, once the shooter opens fire a person is shot every 15 seconds. Absolutely every second counts when these scenarios occur. Our communities need to be aware of what tools are available to protect America’s public spaces.

First, it is important to be Proactive rather than Reactive. Fortunately, there is proactive technology available which will significantly reduce the number of casualties in a mass shooter situation. Gun detect technology uses Artificial Intelligence to spot weapons before they are fired and to predict and identify human actions consistent with violence before it happens.

How Gun Detect works. Gun detect runs over your existing indoor and outdoor camera systems. It is a key layer of an organization’s overall security solution because it can identify a weapon in less than one second. A photograph is then sent to the cell phones of security, administration or whomever the organization chooses to send notification to. Once verified, it can initiate automatic responses, such as locking doors, notifying police, setting the facility on lockdown, alerting people in the facility and more. The more information security has the better. The photographs provide information regarding the location of the shooter, what weapons they have, what protective gear they may be wearing, etc. It will also send public announcements so that potential victims can evacuate or take shelter very quickly. Many of these situations are now occurring outdoors. So, it is important to monitor both sides of the facility and the perimeter of buildings where active shooters can be detected and stopped before entering the facility (referred to as a staging area). Personnel and employees also need to be trained on preventative measures so they can make smart and effective decisions in the moment that will keep people alive until first responders arrive. This training will help create time and distance, which can mean the difference between life and death for those involved.

There are no places immune to this threat. Schools both private and public, government organizations, entertainment venues, parades, malls and even parks have all been locations where mass shootings have occurred. Much like insurance, you hope you never need it, but you are certainly glad to have it when something like this happens. For more information, please visit Olympus Computer Services Inc. on Facebook or call 910-738-1486.