New school AI system can detect gun, alert police in seconds

SARASOTA — Just weeks after the implementation of a new school entrance security system, Sarasota County Schools announced a second wave of safety measures aimed at weapon detection.

This time, the safety feature will equip nearly 5,000 district cameras with 24/7 artificial intelligence surveillance that can spot weapons on school grounds at a "near-instant response."

Omnilert AI can issue a school lockdown, notify police and trigger alarms seconds after detecting a gun inside or outside on campus, according to a news release Wednesday.

Once a gun is detected, the system sends an alert to a designated person at the district's security operations center to verify detections.

Officials said the alert is said to give emergency response teams "advance warning before shots are fired" by providing further information on the potential shooter.

Precise information on the location, a photo and a video of the potential shooter is sent to police within seconds of detecting a gun.

The software was designed with privacy concerns, the district clarified, so a shooter cannot be identified through biometrics like facial recognition.

The new security rollout represents the largest deployment of the AI system in Florida aimed at stopping guns from entering campus.

Officials confirmed the system has already been successfully deployed in a high school last year, with plans to expand the entire district camera system soon.

District Director of Security Sean O'Keefe said the flexible detection system accelerates response times and gun identification, a feature that meets the needs of the large school district.

Omnilert AI will be responsible for more than 45,000 students, 56 schools and more than 5,200 teachers and staff.

“It is critical for us to share the intelligence from Omnilert with our safety systems immediately to ensure we maximize as many seconds or minutes as possible for our police and security teams to respond to a potential situation and to protect lives," O'Keefe said.

In a news release, Superintendent Terry Connor said the new security measure is critical to ensure the safety of staff and students.

“Maintaining a safe learning environment is paramount for our school district,” Connor stated in the news release. “Our district is fortunate to have a safety conscious School Board and community who understands this need and invests in solutions that will make for safer schools."