In Sept. 2023, The Eastern Echo reported on the launch of an AI-based firearm detection technology, ZeroEyes, being added to the security cameras around campus.
EMU Police Chief Lige said that they are now 10 months into the implementation of ZeroEyes onto digital cameras around campus. Installations occur weekly and he said there should be around 400 cameras online by the end of September.
Out of the 1,000 digital cameras around campus, 500 will have ZeroEyes technology. Chief Lige estimated that all 500 will be online in three to four months.
Several students have noticed this process and raised questions and concerns. One such student is Ace Bosquez, a journalism major, who said they didn’t know that AI cameras were being installed.
Another was Anthony Thaxton, a creative writing major, who also didn’t know about the cameras being installed. However, once he learned about them, he had some concerns. He is still wary of AI and the possibility of false detections. He said he thinks human verification will be vital in the appropriate use of these cameras.
In terms of detections, Chief Lige said several tests have already been conducted on these cameras since they were installed. These tests continue to be done every month around campus.
The EMU Department of Public Safety has tested these cameras with a black communication radio, a silver water bottle with red text, a cellphone in a black case, a class orange and blue Nerf gun, and a large industrial silver glue gun. None of these tests returned a false positive detection.
What did return a positive detection, Lige said, was a replica firearm. Every time this was tested, a detection occurred. The replica firearms were a pistol and a rifle.
“The only time we are getting detections is under a testing environment that we orchestrate, so, so far so good,” Lige said.
There has only been one glitch that occurred over the summer, where there was a delay in notification of a detected firearm from several cameras. Working with the ZeroEyes company and the EMU IT Department, the cause was identified to be because the cameras needed some pixel adjustments and the lighting was poor. These were quickly fixed, the cameras were retested and the cameras worked the way they were intended to work.
As for hacking concerns, Lige said, “There’s always an awareness [needed] that our security systems could get hacked and influenced by an outside entity.”
However, he said, there are several systems in place for verification of any threat. First, all police officers get a picture of the suspect and the weapon sent directly to their phone, allowing for human verification.
Second, threats are verified with other cameras in the area. The ZeroEyes cameras do not store biometric information, so it is up to the Department of Public Safety to keep tabs on where the suspect is headed. Due to the 1,000 cameras on campus, Lige said that tracking a suspect would not be a difficult task. The amount of cameras combined with the tracking also allow for the tracking of changing appearances. If the suspect were to change appearance, a camera would capture that and an updated alert would be sent to first responders.
Third and finally, it comes down to the first responder who gets to the scene. Lige said it is ultimately their job to decide whether to disengage, engage and deescalate or engage and implement active protocols such as a shelter in place or ALICE training.
If it ever came down to these active practices, there are measures in place to ensure everything runs smoothly. The EMU Police do training with the nine other Washtenaw County Police Agencies so that they all have the same training and responses in order to act quickly and cohesively.
Additionally, the ZeroEyes cameras aren’t the only safety measure being added around campus. Lige said locks on classroom doors in all 18 identified academic buildings on campus will be added. These additions started in 2023 and are on a one-building-per-semester schedule. So far, Pray-Harrold, Strong, Sill, and Mark-Jefferson have locks with Marshall being next up.
“The partnership that DPS has with students and their safety is very important to our mission,” Lige said.
