ADRIAN, MI — Adrian Public Schools is partnering with a software company in an effort to mitigate the threat of gun violence in its buildings.
The district announced Aug. 22 that it is teaming up with ZeroEyes, a company behind an AI-based gun detection video analytics platform approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Adrian schools will deploy the ZeroEyes software across all buildings to protect students, staff and visitors from gun-related violence, school officials said.
“We sadly live in a time when we can no longer ignore the looming shooting threats that continue to plague the US school system,” Superintendent Nate Parker said in a statement. “After a comprehensive review of available security solutions, we determined that allocating resources toward ZeroEyes’ solution was in the best interest of our students and community.”
ZeroEyes’ AI gun detection and “intelligent situational awareness” software will be layered on Adrian Public Schools’ existing digital security cameras, officials said.
If a gun is identified, images are instantly shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day by trained military and law enforcement personnel. If these experts determine a threat is valid they will send alerts and actionable intelligence -- such as visual description, gun type and last known location -- to local staff and Lenawee County police in as fast as three to five seconds from detection, officials said.
“Adrian Public Schools’ commitment to the safety and well-being of its community is truly commendable,” ZeroEyes CEO Mike Lahiff, said in a statement. “By adopting our proactive AI gun detection solution, the district has taken a significant step towards creating a secure learning environment for its students and staff, and we are grateful for their trust in our mission to combat gun-related violence.”
Adrian Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in Lenawee County, serving more than 2,700 K-12 students, officials said. The district’s new security initiative was made possible through funding from the 2023 Michigan state school aid budget, which included a 5% per-student increase, officials said.
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