Latest news with #SafeHavens
The Hill
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Uvalde schools set to use AI gun detection system
UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) — Officials plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District monitor its campus cameras in an effort to bolster security at schools. Three years after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary that left 19 students and two teachers dead, an AI gun detection company is giving the district its technology and services for free as part of a grant. Omnilert scans live indoor and outdoor camera feeds, monitoring for the presence of a gun. If a firearm is detected, a human then verifies what's on the video before activating a safety response plan that includes notifying first responders. Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser spoke with Nexstar's KXAN about the technology and new partnership. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity. KXAN Anchor Tom Miller: How does your technology work when it comes to detecting a gun on or outside of a campus, and how does it flag a school district or law enforcement? Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser: Many institutions are equipped with security cameras, but most of them are not being monitored by anybody. Our system is an artificial intelligence product that simply monitors those video cameras 24/7, and the only thing it is looking for is the presence of a firearm. As soon as it becomes visible to a camera, it sets off a series of actions with the intent of allowing a preventative response to be mounted. The image, a short video, and the location are sent to a human being. That person will determine whether it's a true gun threat or not. If they say yes, it is, then the next stage kicks in, which is to inform first responders, inform school staff, students, but importantly, to set off additional automated security steps, which could be things like locking doors, or setting off sirens. Tom: How did you decide to partner with the Uvalde school district, and how was that received by the district? Dave: We felt very strongly — particularly with the tragedy that occurred in Uvalde — that it made sense for us to create a grant program specifically for these types of school districts that have already been impacted by a tragedy. We called it the Safe Havens program. Uvalde is the first recipient of that. We'll be providing all of the system, including the service and all the training and any hardware that comes along to support it for the next three years, completely free of charge. We were thrilled to be able to do that in partnership with Uvalde. Tom: I would imagine some parents don't want AI scanning video of their children every day, and they have privacy concerns. What do you say to those parents? Dave: I completely understand the concern around privacy, and our system is designed specifically for sensitive environments, such as schools. We have over 500 different schools using the technology today. It's important that there's absolutely no form of biometrics or facial recognition, nothing that makes a human being, individually or personally, recognizable at all in our system. All it's doing is it's looking for the shape of a human being holding a brandished firearm. The only thing it's looking for is guns, and it doesn't store anything that is recognizable. Tom: How quickly is this catching on with other school districts or potentially city governments, where you could use this in public spaces, or even private sector businesses? Dave: I think the school market was really the first market to move as a result of tragedies like Uvalde, unfortunately. There was a lot of stimulus from federal and state governments as interest grew. Beyond its use in the education market, it's spread into things like hospitals. There's just an amazing amount of gun violence in emergency rooms and beyond. Into transportation, into airports, and other types of systems like that, and into private businesses. There are more than 90 million security cameras in the United States. Less than one percent of them are monitored. It speaks to the broad applicability to go in and help transform those security cameras into something that can prevent tragedy, not just be used to investigate it afterwards.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Consumer Stocks That Fall Short
Consumer staples are considered safe havens in turbulent markets due to their inelastic demand profiles. The flip side is that they frequently fall behind growth industries when times are good, and this perception became a reality over the past six months as the sector was down 7.6% while the S&P 500 was up 4.1%. Investors should tread carefully as the low switching costs for everyday products mean that not all businesses are created equal. On that note, here are three consumer stocks we're steering clear of. Kimberly-Clark (KMB) Market Cap: $42.32 billion Originally founded as a Wisconsin paper mill in 1872, Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) is now a household products powerhouse known for personal care and tissue products. Why Is KMB Not Exciting? Products fail to spark excitement with consumers, as seen in its flat sales over the last three years Flat unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to stimulate growth Projected sales decline of 3.1% for the next 12 months points to an even tougher demand environment ahead Kimberly-Clark's stock price of $128.29 implies a valuation ratio of 16.8x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why KMB doesn't pass our bar. TreeHouse Foods (THS) Market Cap: $1.01 billion Whether it be packaged crackers, broths, or beverages, Treehouse Foods (NYSE:THS) produces a wide range of private-label foods for grocery and food service customers. Why Should You Dump THS? Falling unit sales over the past two years show it's struggled to move its products and had to rely on price increases Easily substituted products (and therefore stiff competition) result in an inferior gross margin of 16.4% that must be offset through higher volumes Low returns on capital reflect management's struggle to allocate funds effectively TreeHouse Foods is trading at $20.01 per share, or 10.3x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with THS, check out our full research report (it's free). Tyson Foods (TSN) Market Cap: $19.03 billion Started as a simple trucking business, Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) is one of the world's largest producers of chicken, beef, and pork. Why Is TSN Risky? Sizable revenue base leads to growth challenges as its 1.5% annual revenue increases over the last three years fell short of other consumer staples companies Gross margin of 7.1% is an output of its commoditized products Falling earnings per share over the last three years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term At $53.72 per share, Tyson Foods trades at 14.3x forward P/E. If you're considering TSN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Stocks We Like More When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2024, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that's already erased most losses. Don't let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Businesses to be shelters for women feeling unsafe
Businesses in Kent have joined an initiative to create safe spaces for women and girls who feel unsafe. Tunbridge Wells' Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin and local women's safety organisation #TogetherAsAllies invited more than 150 businesses in the town to become a shelter as part of the Safe Havens initiative. Laura Toop, who founded the organisation, said: "People can feel vulnerable throughout the day, it's not necessarily associated to something that is just [in the] evening, so these places will be very visible." Businesses involved will display a Safe Haven sign and will help people call a taxi, charge their phone and offer a space to call an emergency contact. Ms Toop added: "So often people are walking down the street and think, 'will they accept me in?' Or, 'can I step in and I'm not going to get turned away?' "But with a Safe Haven sticker, they'll know that they're not going to get turned away." The organisation #TogetherAsAllies is also offering specialist training to businesses so staff know how to respond to vulnerable people seeking help. Business will also be given a support pack that signposts to local services. The plan is to extend the initiative to other towns in the future. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Technology helping keep women safe on the streets More bus stops to get CCTV so women feel safer Public asked to identify unsafe areas for women #TogetherAsAllies
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tunbridge Wells shops to be shelters for women feeling unsafe
Businesses in Kent have joined an initiative to create safe spaces for women and girls who feel Wells' Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin and local women's safety organisation #TogetherAsAllies invited more than 150 businesses in the town to become a shelter as part of the Safe Havens Toop, who founded the organisation, said: "People can feel vulnerable throughout the day, it's not necessarily associated to something that is just [in the] evening, so these places will be very visible."Businesses involved will display a Safe Haven sign and will help people call a taxi, charge their phone and offer a space to call an emergency contact. Ms Toop added: "So often people are walking down the street and think, 'will they accept me in?' Or, 'can I step in and I'm not going to get turned away?'"But with a Safe Haven sticker, they'll know that they're not going to get turned away."The organisation #TogetherAsAllies is also offering specialist training to businesses so staff know how to respond to vulnerable people seeking will also be given a support pack that signposts to local plan is to extend the initiative to other towns in the future.
