Facial recognition to ID sex offenders, other 'unwanted' people to be installed at some W. Va. schools

Public schools in four West Virginia counties will implement facial recognition software that is capable of alerting administrators to unwanted guests and even sex offenders, according to TimCast.

The software will also allow counties to create and build a database of faces, housed on school servers, which would alert administrators to unexpected people, intruders, or suspended or expelled students approaching a school.

Doddridge, Marion, Putnam, and Taylor Counties in West Virginia have already or will have installed facial recognition software through company Rank One Computing.

The upgrades to technology are coupled with a $2 million investment from the state government to improve school safety.

The main product that the company presented to Marion County School Board was Roc Watch, which CEO Scott Swan described as having the capability to take "dumb cameras and makes them smart."

Some of the features of product listed on the company website describe the ability to "recognize people and objects from an unlimited # of video feeds (Faces, Persons, Vehicles, Text, Weapons)," "Read License Plates," and "Monitor occupancy & mask compliance."

The software can even detect a door that has been left ajar or if a person approaches with a weapon. As well, the system can be synced with law enforcement data to detect criminals and sex offenders.

“It provides schools with an additional layer of security. They can enter the faces of their staff and students and well-known visitors,” said Jonah Adkins, director of pre-K-12 academic support for the state’s Department of Education. “It sends administrators alerts if an unwanted person were to approach the door or anywhere on campus.”

Rank One Computing announced in a press release that it has worked with more than 50 schools in West Virginia for a rollout out of a video analytics system into existing school cameras.

"We are thrilled to be working with schools in West Virginia to pilot this important innovation. School safety is a top priority for us. We are dedicated to creating cutting-edge solutions that will help build a safer future for children and educators everywhere,” Swan said in the press release.

The $2 million state investment for school safety was announced in October 2022 and is intended to place "state school safety officers whose sole responsibility is school safety" in "every school in the state," as well as focus on mental health.

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