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Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced in August that it would be using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect firearms in an effort to curb violent crime and enhance security.
The technology was provided to the city by Pennsylvania-based company ZeroEyes, which work to identify brandished guns, according to American City and County. If gun is detected, existing digital security cameras — updated with ZeroEyes tech — alerts human analyst at operation centers, who then alert law enforcement. Notifications can often occur in under one minute after detection, while also providing the gun type, specific locations, as well as photographs of the situation.
Chicago’s Navy Pier has utilized the product for the last two years, costing CTA $200,000 for the initial 12-month trial. (TAKE A POLL: Do You Think That the Current Education System Adequately Prepares Students For the Workforce?)
Peace Of Mind?
“Our hope is this added measure of protection provides additional peace of mind to everyone,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr, according to the outlet. (TAKE A POLL: Is It Important To Address Income Inequality Through Policy?)
Within days of the announcement, four people were shot and killed while sleeping on a transit train near Chicago, according to CNN. “The CTA has great cameras. Their surveillance cameras are excellent,” said Forest Park Deputy Chief Chris Chin. A suspect was taken into custody roughly 90 minutes after the murders, which police said at the time was likely a random, isolated incident.
Crime on public transit has skyrocketed since 2020. Data shared by the Bureau of Transportation shows an “unfortunate trend upward” in crimes such as assaults and robberies. Other crimes, such as arson, bombings, burglary, chemical / biological / nuclear / radiological incidents, hijacking, and more have all increased, the data states.
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