Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - As the new school year begins in the City of Niagara Falls, schools superintendent Mark Laurrie says the district has enhanced security measures to help everyone feel safer in its buildings.
Ramping up security is a given for schools like Niagara Falls in this day and age.
"We have secured vestibules at all of our schools, meaning that parents or guests or visitors would have to be buzzed in twice and screened before they can come in," said Laurrie in an interview with WBEN. "Secondly, we have nuisance alarms at all of our exterior doors, meaning that if a door was propped open, put something in there to have it stay open because someone's running into their car in 15 seconds, a loud nuisance alarm would ring, telling you that a door has been kept open inappropriately."
One other addition is ZeroEyes, an AI system placed on outdoor cameras. Laurrie says the app can pick up weapons exposure as small as an eighth of an inch.
He notes that system was put to the test over the weekend.
"I wasn't very familiar with some type of a gun called an Orbeez gun, and they were using these Orbeez guns on our football field. Our technology picked it up, and immediately dispatched law enforcement," Laurrie said. "Thankfully, these were kids playing, nonetheless, the sensitivity of the artificial intelligence camera picked it up, notified everyone in the district."
Laurrie says the district had a conversation with those students about the use of Orbeez guns on school grounds.
"We send a message that no matter what daytime or where it is, we are not going to accept that kind of activity," he added.
It is important for Laurrie that all this is out in the open for students, staff and parents and other community members.
"Let's let people know that you will be stopped immediately in the parking lot if it is not displayed, and it's hidden or secured in a book bag or under a jacket that will immediately be picked up in your first pass through of our weapons detection system," Laurrie added. "We believe that our weak points are very, very, very rare, and that we've done everything to sustain safety."
Overall, the reaction from parents and students has been positive.
"We have not received any negative feedback. We haven't received any challenges to this. They're applauding this, and they're expecting this," Laurrie said of parents.
He adds students want to come to school and do the right thing, feel safe, go home and do what they have to do.
The school year began Wednesday in Niagara Falls.
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