Pilot Program Is New Face of Security at Nashville Schools

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville Metro Public Schools implemented a new facial recognition program in December that officials hope will allow them to better detect intruders on campus.

Due to a large number of intruders on school campuses during the last year, the pilot program was initiated at three district schools, Gra-Mar Middle, Harpeth Valley Elementary and Antioch High, and the school district’s central office, at a cost of about $32,000 per facility.

The technology uses a network of video cameras and computers to capture images of every person who enters a school and compares them to a database of stored images to spot unfamiliar faces. When a camera detects a face it cannot match to a stored photo, it alerts security.

Using the new system, officials can also create a list of unauthorized persons such as fired employees, suspended and expelled students, or parents banned from campus due to custody issues.

Officials are optimistic that if the pilot program is successful, it could encourage other schools to try the technology. Nashville Metro is the first in the nation to use the program, according to reports.

Critics of the technology claim it has not succeeded in spotting wanted criminals in public areas, including downtown districts. Cameras are also reported to have problems functioning in poor lighting or if they capture a photograph at an angle and cannot fully view a face. Opponents also feel the new system is an infringement on student, faculty and staff privacy.