The need to elevate security in our nation’s schools is clear. There have been far too many tragic events that have taken the innocent lives of our schoolchildren and their teachers and other school staff. Thankfully, many school districts have taken the initiative to harden their security, including implementing more advanced video surveillance and access control systems and solutions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance and is also proving an effective way to enhance security in our schools. It is revolutionizing school security by enabling proactive threat detection, real-time alerts, and automated responses. These capabilities are all empowering schools to provide a higher level of defense against horrific threats like school shootings and senseless act of violence.
Savvy school districts, in tandem with trusted security integration partners like NextGen, are adapting AI to elevate their level of security. AI is being used in a variety of ways. Here we explore some of the many benefits that AI solutions can deliver to schools.
The ability to detect threats early is key among them. Security systems empowered by AI can analyze surveillance footage in real time to detect suspicious behaviors, like people loitering near entrances or students seemingly in distress. AI powered systems can quickly alert school administrators and law enforcement in real-time, allowing for fast intervention before a security breach occurs.
The facial recognition and predictive analytics technologies that AI can provide are going a long way in identifying potential perpetrators and/or unauthorized people before they can enter schools. That’s because predictive analytics can analyze patterns and foresee potential security threats, thereby giving school security teams that heads up to take preventive measures when needed.
And say what you want about social media – some people love it, and some people hate it. But in the realm of social media monitoring, AI can actually scan online activity for keywords and patterns that suggest the threat of an impending security incident, such as threats of violence or plans for disruptive actions made by an individual or groups of them. These alerts can be seen and forwarded to relevant authorities to allow for an early intervention and mitigate the danger.
Not to be overlooked are the budget constraints that and staff shortages that many school districts need to contend with. AI capabilities can help as they can provide round-the-clock monitoring and ensure that campuses are continuously being surveilled.
Ask any monitoring station operator and they’ll tell you it’s challenging to watch all incoming video footage, which is why the fact AI detection systems use advanced algorithms to identify potential threats and unusual activities within the school environment is so critically important. These systems can process and analyze vast data streams from various sources, such as surveillance footage and digital communications, to flag activities that deviate from established normal activity.
AI systems are smart and get smarter all the time. Their ability to learn continuously, adapt to, and decipher the data they collect over time translates into a reduction of false alarms and more accurate detection of real threats. NextGen remains ever committed to protecting our nation’s schools. AI’s ever-growing abilities are providing school security teams with a valuable and proactive approach to preventing incidents before they escalate and are delivering much needed peace of mind to school administrators, staff, parents, and students. Call on NextGen to learn more about how we can elevate security at your schools.