Nashville Schools Face Rec System (Update)

http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/metro-schools-unveil-face-recognition-cameras/131643.htm

From WKRN:

Tuesday, Metro Nashville Schools unveiled its new security system, aimed at keeping unwanted people out of the school buildings. As a test, the face-recognition cameras will be installed in three Metro schools. The cameras will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, taking snapshots of every individual, looking for people who may not be welcomed. Ralph Thompson, Metro Schools’ Assistant Superintendent, said, “For instance, everyone that entered the building is now in the data bank and all we have to do is go back and store that image and put it on either our watch list or an approved list to come into the building.”

Nashville Schools Get Security Facelift

The 75,000-student Nashville School District announced that they will be deploying face recognition systems at 3 different facilities this December. It is hoped that the specialized cameras and software will help protect the safety of students, as well as, generally monitor access of the traditionally open educational settings settings.

"This will give us an edge in providing safety for our students and teachers," Thompson said of the $30,000 camera system. Several intruders have entered
Nashville schools in the past year, he said. A successful test in Nashville could prod other schools to try the technology, said Peter Pochowski, executive director of the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers. He said Nashville is the first to use face-recognition cameras. Nashville will take digital photos of students and workers at the three test schools and store them in the new camera system, Thompson said. When a camera spots a face in a school that it cannot match to a stored photo, it will alert security. The system also could detect suspended and expelled students and fired employees, Thompson said.

In 2004, the Phoenix School District made a similar announcement, but ultimately never deployed their facial recognition systems over accuracy and privacy concerns. Of course, significant advancements in both facial recognition and privacy technologies have been made in recent years. Here is one example that I am partial to.