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Can Facial Recognition¹ Help Prevent School Shootings?

American education officials have sought new ways to make schools more secure following several deadly shootings in recent years.

One of them took place in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The attack, carried out by former student Nikolas Cruz, killed 17 people.

The killings² set in motion a nationwide debate over school security and gun control. Many security proposals have been discussed, including the hiring of armed guards and putting metal detectors⁴ in schools.

The principal of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Ty Thompson, recently tweeted about new security measures that will take effect during the new school year beginning next month. Among the changes will be adding four security officers, the addition of metal detectors and numerous new cameras.

Some American schools plan to take camera technology a step further by adding facial recognition equipment to improve security. Such systems work by continuously searching faces for the identities of individuals whose images have already been entered.

Facial recognition technology

The Lockport City School District in western New York state has approved a facial recognition system at all its schools. District officials say the equipment will soon be in place to identify former students and employees, sex offenders⁵ and weapons. Schools in other states have also considered using the technology.

A security expert who worked with Lockport officials says such a system can prevent shootings like the one in Parkland, Florida. “This would have identified (Nikolas Cruz) as not being able to be in that building,” Tony Olivo told the Associated Press. Olivo said cameras placed throughout the school would have followed Cruz’s every move on school grounds.

The system chosen by Lockport administrators⁶ was created by Canadian-based SN Technologies. The company’s website says the facial recognition system can notify⁷ officials immediately when certain individuals are detected on school property. It is also designed to identify the most commonly used firearms.

Lockport’s director of technology is Robert LiPuma. He told the Associated Press that past violence has forced officials nationwide to decide what new security methods are needed. He said he hopes the district’s system will become a model for other schools.

A U.S.-based company recently announced it will start offering a free version of its facial recognition system to schools in the United States and Canada. The SAFR system by RealNetworks is also designed to keep people identified as possible threats from entering schools. Also, the system lets parents or others register their image so they can gain electronic entry to the school.

A question of privacy⁸

Some critics of facial recognition technology say it should be kept out of schools. The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has asked the state Education Department to block the technology from any New York school. Education officials have said they would review the group’s request.

In its letter to state officials, the NYCLU said the system will harm, not help students. “Rather than protecting them, the district is treating every child as a threat. Rather than human relationships, the district is relying on machines to do its job,” the letter said.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, has called on schools considering facial recognition to carefully examine how the systems will be used. It said officials must consider who will have access to collected information, how the system would be managed and whether students can decide not to take part.

Some critics have also questioned the effectiveness of facial recognition systems. A study released in February by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University found that some facial recognition systems do not work as well on women or minorities.

Khari Demos is a father with two children attending Lockport High School. He said he thinks facial recognition can be an effective tool when used as part of a complete security package to keep students safe.

“It’ll actually identify who should and shouldn’t be in the school,” Demos said. “The system will never be 100 percent perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he added.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

detector³ – n. piece of equipment used to discover something, especially something that is hidden

principal – n. the person in charge of a school

rely – v. depend on

access – n. way of being able to use or get something

1 recognition   

n.承认，认可，认出，认识

参考例句：

• The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
• A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意，表示认识对方。

2 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

3 detector   

n.发觉者，探测器

参考例句：

• The detector is housed in a streamlined cylindrical container.探测器安装在流线型圆柱形容器内。
• Please walk through the metal detector.请走过金属检测器。

4 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

5 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

6 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

7 notify   

vt.通知，告知，报告

参考例句：

• The court clerk will notify the witness when and where to appear.法院办事员将通知证人出庭的时间及地点。
• He will notify us where we are to meet.他将通知我们在什么地方集合。

8 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。