Unmonitored Cameras Don’t Prevent Tragedies, They Record Them

School safety is a constant source of stress and sleepless nights for many K-12 and higher education administrators, especially when it comes to gun violence. At the halfway mark of the 2022 calendar year, there have already been 279 mass shootings, defined as a shooting with at least four victims.

11 of those 279 happened across the country in just one weekend, and 27 of them took place on K-12 school property. As organizations try to digest the reality of this extreme number of mass shootings—and more than 10 percent of those being school shootings—one thing is crystal clear. These tragedies are only increasing, and administrative and security professionals need to seek proactive solutions now.

State and federal funds are available to schools making it the perfect time to invest in proactive security solutions that not only protect against guns but many common risks too.

The Unknowns can be Haunting

As administrators, parents, students, and citizens—there’s a lot we likely won’t know about an active shooter until it’s too late.

We won’t know about suppressed anger, psychological triggers, or stressors that lead to their decisions.
We won’t know about the planning that occurs in the privacy of their homes.
We won’t know about the signs that go undetected by busy friends or family members.
We won’t know about the gathering of supplies needed to carry out their plans.

The unknowns can be terrifying, but because there is so much that we can’t know, it becomes that much more crucial to prioritize the things that we can.

Proactive Detection and Awareness are Crucial

When the decision is made to target a K-12 campus or property, the shooter will take steps to prepare for the attack. Many of these steps go undetected until after the fact when footage is reviewed, and the incident has already occurred. When you overlay your existing camera surveillance systems with IntelliSee’s AI risk mitigation platform—these things become detectable before any tragedy has occurred.

One indication that a shooter is going to take action is the staging of a weapon. If the shooter enters the building with the weapon concealed, then staging is likely done in secluded areas, like stairwells, bathrooms, or closets. If the shooter stages before entering the building, similarly to the gunman in Uvalde, Texas, it is likely done in a vehicle, parking lot, or at home prior to arrival. In some cases, the weapon will be staged outside and placed for convenient access once inside the building, such as on a windowsill or near an easily accessible door.

During these staging windows, the gun is visible, meaning it can be detected by IntelliSee. Once detected, administrative and security professionals are made aware immediately via text, call, or email alerts. The alert contains an image of the surveillance that was flagged, providing insight into where that person is, what they look like, and who might be in harms way.

Immediate Action Saves Lives

This insight allows end-users, whether security professionals or administrative leaders, to take immediate action. If deemed necessary, users can trigger other security systems.

Alerts include images of the detection and the exact camera where the detection occurred. This information can be reviewed and communicated to law enforcement. IntelliSee does not use facial recognition, therefore it wouldn’t continue to detect the gunman if they were to drop their weapon. However, in areas where trespassing detection is enabled, there would still be alerts of persons trespassing. These alerts together can be crucial in pinpointing the path and location of an active shooter quickly.

The situational awareness that IntelliSee provides helps to reduce response times and provide actionable intelligence in situations where seconds matter. Ideally, these features work together and lead to a gunman in custody before shots are even fired, preventing a tragedy altogether. Prevention is always the first goal, followed closely by reduced response times and minimized incidents.

Your Existing Cameras Work. Help Them Work Better.

The belief that you need to upgrade your entire security surveillance system to reap the benefits of AI is not true. Your existing IP cameras already work, and with IntelliSee, they can work even better.

IntelliSee overlays existing cameras to provide active, AI monitoring on the surveillance feed. The platform complements your existing security systems and team. Installation is simple and it’s one flat rate for the whole platform. The value continues to increase with regular updates that ensure users have access to the latest detections at no additional cost. Typically, the investment to add active monitoring costs less than 5% of the initial camera investment.

As schools look for ways to invest federal and state funding, IntelliSee is a simple, immediate way for schools to be proactive in protecting staff and students. Schools in Iowa, Ohio and other states, for instance, now have access to $100 million in conjunction with federal ESSER funds to make significant safety improvements.

IntelliSee does not store footage or use facial recognition software, meaning personally identifiable information (PII) is secure and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is not violated. Another notable benefit of IntelliSee is discretion. The platform operates behind the scenes, therefore it does not create stress or anxiety for staff or students the same way that other visible security measures, like metal detectors, might. Providing proactive protection while maintaining a sense of normalcy goes a long way.

Shootings are Catastrophic—But Not The Most Likely Threat

It’s important to protect against gun violence in all security strategies, but shootings are far less likely to happen on a K-12 campus than other threats such as slip and falls and vandalism.

IntelliSee can detect slipping hazards, fallen persons, trespassers, loiterers, vehicles, and absences as well. These risks, especially slipping hazards, pose a threat to your campus far more frequently than drawn guns and can cost thousands of dollars.

IntelliSee’s deep-learning AI can protect your property, staff, and students every day from common safety risks while also being ready to go in the instance of active shooters. Now is the time to act and invest in proactive safety solutions. Don’t wait until a tragedy shows up on your campus.

Speak with your systems integrator to see if IntelliSee is the safety solution for you. Want to see it in action? Reach out to arrange a live demo!