Arizona Private School Adds AI Gun Detection System
Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory has integrated artificial intelligence into its campus security cameras to detect firearms.
- By Chelsey Arries
- October 27, 2026
Security cameras across Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory now run software to detect visible firearms and notify authorities within seconds.
The private school deployed the platform across six campus buildings serving 450 students from infancy through 12th grade. The software integrates directly with existing surveillance equipment without requiring new hardware installations.
Adam Harness, the school safety director and a former Phoenix police officer, noted that the system expands coverage across all monitored areas simultaneously, allowing staff to pinpoint weapons and respond immediately rather than reactively.
When a camera identifies a firearm, images route to an off-site monitoring center staffed continuously by military and law enforcement veterans. Once human analysts verify the weapon, the system transmits suspect descriptions, gun classifications and location data to school personnel and police dispatchers within three to five seconds.
The platform forms part of an updated security strategy for the school, which employs about 60 staff members across early learning classrooms and standard grade facilities.
About the Author
Chelsey Arries is assistant editor of Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.