LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — ZeroEyes is teaming up with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to provide AI-based gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software at valley transit centers.
According to a press release, the RTC will be the first transit agency in the United States to "fully deploy weapons detection analytics" to protect riders against gun-related violence.
"RTC prides itself on its ability to identify transportation challenges and implement solutions," said MJ Maynard, CEO of the RTC. "Tens of thousands of people depend on our transit system every day, and we continually look for ways to improve their safety and security."
So how does it work?
The software layers onto existing digital security cameras. If a gun is identified, images are shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center, which is staffed 24/7, 365 days a year, by specially trained military and law enforcement veterans.
If those experts determine the threat is valid, they dispatch alerts and "actionable intelligence", which includes a description of what they're seeing, the type of gun, and the last known location, to local law enforcement and RTC staff.
According to ZeroEyes, the process should take "three to five seconds from detection."
RTC officials tell Channel 13 that the software is only available on cameras within their facilities and will specifically monitor traffic at transit centers and not on buses.
In recent years, there have been a string of incidents involving violence on RTC buses. For example, in May 2023, a man was shot by a man who was irritated he was laughing with his girlfriend and in November 2023, a man was shot before getting rid of the gun, which was found by a toddler who then fired the gun.
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Last September, Maynard told Channel 13 the agency had been looking at hybrid security/law enforcement options.
He added that due to the number of violent incidents in 2023, RTC officials increased the number of contracted security officers, have cameras with a live look-in feature for law enforcement, and they were testing a panic button system for drivers to help expedite responses to incidents.
As for the new system that was announced on Wednesday, ZeroEyes officials say it's a one-year contract.
According to RTC officials, its transit fleet consists of 39 routes, which are served by more than 400 vehicles and carries more than 50 million riders every year.
