Colorado School District Deploys AI Gun Detection on Cameras

Colorado's 27J School District has begun the 2026 school year with artificial intelligence monitoring exterior security cameras at five high school campuses, designed to detect firearms before they enter buildings.

The district has installed IntelliSee, an AI-powered weapon recognition system, at Brighton, Prairie View, and Riverdale Ridge high schools, plus its Innovations and Options campus and alternative school location. The technology analyzes feeds from existing cameras positioned in parking lots and athletic fields, scanning for visible weapons in real time.

How the detection system works

When the AI identifies what appears to be a gun in camera footage, it captures a still image and sends it to IntelliSee's response team for verification. Once confirmed, the company immediately alerts both school security personnel and local law enforcement, who then decide how to respond.

"This is just a proactive system that we use that will again enhance our security and allow us to respond more efficiently to any potential threat that we may have," said Sam Ortega, Director of Safety and Security at 27J School District, according to CBS Colorado.

The system addresses a resource constraint many districts face: the inability to monitor security cameras continuously. Ortega noted the district lacks staff to watch feeds around the clock, whereas the AI provides constant surveillance and instant alerts.

Privacy safeguards and limitations

District officials emphasized the technology does not employ facial recognition or collect biometric data. IntelliSee operates by analyzing still images from camera feeds without accessing the district's camera servers directly.

"You don't need that level of information to make your school or other organization safer. You just need that real-time situational awareness of what your cameras are seeing at the moment," IntelliSee CEO Scott Keplinger told CBS Colorado.

The AI monitors only exterior areas—not inside classrooms or hallways. Signs posted at school entrances inform parents and students about the weapon detection system.

Why it matters

The deployment represents a growing trend of school districts turning to AI for security enhancement amid persistent concerns about campus safety. By automating threat detection on existing infrastructure, districts can extend surveillance capabilities without proportionally increasing security staff. The approach also raises questions about the effectiveness of perimeter-focused AI systems and whether they create a false sense of security when threats can emerge from multiple vectors.

Contract details

The district is funding the initiative through a three-year contract worth approximately $170,000 in grant money. Human decision-makers—school security teams and law enforcement—retain final authority over response protocols after receiving AI-generated alerts.

These details were first reported by CBS Colorado.