Schools Promise Training After AI Flagged Chips As Gun In Baltimore County

ESSEX, MD — School employees will train annually on protocols for the artificial intelligence system that flagged a bag of chips as a potential gun at Kenwood High School in Essex.

Baltimore County Public Schools and the Baltimore County Police Department released a joint statement Tuesday, outlining what led to students being handcuffed and searched while waiting for a ride home from football practice.

"Baltimore County Public Schools, in partnership with the Baltimore County Police Department, is deeply committed to ensuring the safety of all students and staff across our schools and offices," the joint statement said. "[We] are committed to taking additional steps to ensure all staff fully understand and follow established protocols to prevent such incidents from occurring again. BCPS will continue to provide ongoing counseling and emotional support to students impacted by this event."

The incident happened on the evening of Oct. 20 when AI security system Omnilert detected an object that it thought resembled a gun.

When Omnilert identifies an image that meets the characteristics of a gun, it automatically sends an alert to the BCPS Department of School Safety. Omnilert's role in the process ends there.

The Department of School Safety then reviews the image and decides whether to validate the concern or dub the alert a false alarm and cancel it. If validated, the Department of School Safety notifies the Baltimore County Police Department to initiate a response. If canceled, no further law enforcement or safety action is taken.

Officials released this timeline of events:

• 7:04 p.m. - Omnilert alert issued for review.
• 7:05 to 7:06 p.m. - BCPS Executive Director of School Safety, BCPS School Safety Manager and Maryland Safe Schools Facilitator with the Baltimore County Police Department reviewed the alert and canceled it. No further action was taken in the Omnilert system.
• 7:17 p.m. - Principal contacted the School Resource Officer (SRO) and reported the alert. Because this alert was received after school hours, the SRO called the local precinct.
• 7:23 p.m. - First officer arrives at Kenwood High School, responding to a report of a suspicious person with a weapon.

Body camera video then showed police officers detaining students and searching their belongings until they realized that the item from the Omnilert was actually a bag of chips.

"To ensure proper adherence to established protocols, BCPS will incorporate specific reminders about Omnilert signals for awareness and communication as part of the annual scenario-based safety training," the joint statement from schools and police said. "Administrators will communicate directly with the Executive Director of School Safety or Executive Director of Schools if they have concerns. Additionally, BCoPD will remind all SRO’s of after-hours procedures. BCPS will provide continued counseling support for all staff and students impacted by this incident for the foreseeable future."

Baltimore County Council Member Julian Jones (D-Woodstock) requested a review and is pleased with the results.

"I commend the Baltimore County Police Department and the Public School System for their responsiveness after my request for a thorough review of the technology and processes behind the AI-guided camera warning system involved at Kenwood High School," Jones said in the release. "Both agencies confirmed that they conduct incident reviews as part of their regular practice, examined with me all aspects of this troubling incident, and shared examples where the Omnilert system captured valuable information that helped prevent bad outcomes. We agree on the need for annual retraining to ensure that dedicated staff follow appropriate existing protocols, and we will all remain vigilant about how our technology is functioning."

Related:

• Chips Flagged As Gun By AI: Video Released Of School Search
• Student Handcuffed After AI Flags Chips For Gun At Kenwood High: Reports