NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new security system is now officially installed in Metro Schools to protect children from anyone who brings a gun to school. The plan was first put in place shortly after the Covenant School shooting.
In just the past three weeks, there have been at least four cases where guns were found inside schools in Metro Nashville.
Metro Schools says this new system is an add-on to their security camera network and is designed to use AI to detect if there is a weapon and it alerts the police and school officials. It's called Omnilert.
"If it [a weapon] is [detected], the school and the MNPD are alerted to enact safety protocols. Following testing and integrations with MNPD systems, the service is now live throughout MNPS schools," a spokesperson for MNPS said.
It has a three-step verification process that not only recognizes a gun but also looks at behavior consistent with gun violence. When a threat is present, the system triggers an alert that sets the security team into action. The company says there is a near zero false positive rate.
These are systems you won't notice at your child school since the software works with school cameras. MNPS say school safety is a top priority and these systems are for all grade levels in their buildings.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
