Technology designed to assist Utah school officials in detecting the presence of guns on their campuses has been installed in a number of districts across the state, and more are on the way.
“We are implemented throughout the state of Utah,” said Rob Huberty, chief operating officer and co-founder of ZeroEyes, a Philadelphia-based company that manages gun detection technology. “We’re installing in more schools all over the place, so, on a daily basis, we’re going to different schools.”
HB61 proposes installing gun-detection software in Utah schools, shopping malls, and other locations to prevent gun violence. The Utah Legislature passed a multi-pronged measure in 2023 to improve school safety and security.
As of July, ZeroEyes reported that its technology was used in over 200 Utah schools. The efforts received new attention this week when Ogden School District officials notified parents of a planned testing of the technology this month.
The notice states that “the test will involve a representative from ZeroEyes, wearing a safety vest and carrying an Airsoft rifle and an Airsoft pistol,” which will be visible to security cameras inside and outside an unspecified number of Ogden schools. “Please be assured that this is only a controlled test as part of our efforts to improve school safety measures. If you see this activity, there is no reason to be concerned.”
Jer Bates, spokesman for the Ogden School District, confirmed that plans are underway to install gun-detection technology in the system’s schools, in accordance with HB84, a 2024 measure approved by Utah lawmakers that aims to improve school safety. But he wouldn’t say much more because state law limits what school officials can do to ensure security.
“I can tell you that, yes, we intend to implement ZeroEyes technology in schools. “It’s part of HB84 compliance,” Bates explained.
Huberty stated that ZeroEyes software is already installed in some Ogden schools. According to the company’s July 11 press release, it has been installed in schools in Cache County, Carbon, Grand County, Juab, North Summit, South Summit, Provo, Wasatch, and Waterford, among other districts.
Representatives from Salt Lake City-based AEGIX, which collaborated with ZeroEyes, announced in August 2023 that the Utah State Board of Education had awarded the firm a $3 million contract to implement the software.
‘The right place at the right time’
The gun-detection technology works in conjunction with individual schools’ existing security camera systems, with software capable of detecting guns through video surveillance.
Security camera systems are not always monitored by humans, and if the technology detects a suspected gun in the video stream, it sends an alert to ZeroEyes operations centers, where experts review the footage. “Since it’s visual gun detection, the gun must be out. “It cannot be hidden,” Huberty stated.
The experts review the alerts, determine whether a gun is present, and then relay the information to 911 centers, school resource officers, and others so that they can take action on the ground. The detection and confirmation process can take only a few seconds, and the technology also indicates where the suspect image was captured.
“If a school resource officer is present, they could be anywhere in the building within 30 to 60 seconds. They’ll see an image, like the one we see, and then an application,” Huberty explained. “So they could be at the right place at the right time with the right equipment.”
The technology has been installed in schools, shopping malls, health care facilities, and businesses in at least 43 states, resulting in “thousands of detections” of guns — some of which were law enforcement officers’ weapons.
So far, the software has not stopped an active shooter, but it has resulted in more than 30 arrests of suspects for gun-related offenses, including some students on school grounds.
“In municipalities, we’ve seen people use guns in parking lots. We’ve seen people walking through subways carrying guns they shouldn’t have had. “We’ve witnessed people misusing weapons,” Huberty said.
Huberty, a ZeroEyes co-founder, stated that the idea for the company arose from the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018. The gun used by the gunman was visible on school security video long before the shooting began, Huberty said, but no one was watching the feed.
“So we decided to build this company. We’re simply going to look for guns. “We’re going to keep an eye on it all day and night,” he said.
