JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WBRC) – The Jacksonville Police Department is increasing security at city schools with new AI camera technology.
Jacksonville Police Chief Marcus Wood says this new AI tech can help alert them to trouble faster.
Chief Wood says a new school safety grant will help them buy into the growing potential of AI to help protect students in schools.
“We’re going to try and provide some technology on our school campuses that we think will help make our schools safer by notifying us if there’s ever someone on campus and they’re armed with a weapon,” said Chief Wood.
Chief Wood says a new camera system using AI will be an extra set of eyes for school administrators and the SROs who patrol the campuses.
“Whether it’s a pistol, rifle, shotgun, anything that the system recognizes as what we thing would be dangerous and harmful to the campus. Within seconds it will send a notification to all of those on that notification list and help us to better respond,” said Chief Wood.
Chief Wood says he knows officers can’t be everywhere. That’s why it’s important to provide parents with the comfort of knowing their child is safe while they’re at school.
“There are cameras already at the schools so we think adding this technology to those cameras or that cover almost every area of the school will help us be those looking eyes in areas where we’re not always at,” said Chief Wood.
Chief Marcus Wood says this $115,000 grant will also allow his department to upgrade their communication devices while purchasing future AI projects.
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