Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Eastern Michigan University Adopts AI Gun Detection Solution

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/18/23

AI-based gun detection video analytics platform ZeroEyes recently announced that Eastern Michigan University in Washtenaw County, Mich., will adopt its solution on campus, according to a news release. EMU is the first higher education institution in Michigan to install an AI gun detection solution. ZeroEyes is currently the only solution of its kind holding a SAFETY Act Designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

EMU will layer the ZeroEyes solution on top of its existing digital security cameras. Images of potential flagged firearms will be shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC), staffed by U.S. military and law enforcement veterans 24 hours a day. The experts will review the threat and, if it is valid, trigger alerts and send actionable intelligence (including last known location, a visual description of the potential shooter, and gun type) to local staff and campus police in as little as 3 to 5 seconds, the news release reports.

“The integration of ZeroEyes will continue Eastern's commitment to providing a safe campus experience for all who study and work here,” said EMU President James Smith. “Ensuring a secure, inclusive, and open campus environment is an ongoing commitment by our Department of Public Safety (DPS) leadership and campus staff.”

The ZeroEyes analytics software does not include any kind of facial recognition technology, reducing risk of bias based on personal characteristics or skin color.

“In the event of gun-related violence, the advance notice offered by ZeroEyes will provide our first responders with the opportunity to intervene proactively and potentially de-escalate the situation,” said Matthew Lige, Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police at Eastern Michigan University. “It will also provide Department of Public Safety staff the ability to notify the campus community with timely and accurate information in order to make informed safety decisions.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.