Over spring break, DePaul’s Office of Public Safety installed an AI-assisted gun detection software called “ZeroEyes” on some of its 2,000 campus cameras. The detection software is also used by the Chicago Transit Authority on its train platforms.

“The risk of gun violence is a serious issue, and DePaul is making ongoing efforts to strengthen community safety and preparedness,” Public Safety said in a statement to The DePaulia. “ZeroEyes gun detection technology significantly reduces response times, which can prevent violence or save lives during an active shooting on campus.”

According to the ZeroEyes website, the AI software sends an image to a control center if a potential firearm is flagged. A human with firearm experience then determines whether or not the threat is real. If the threat is determined to be real, they alert the Chicago Police Department and DePaul’s Office of Public Safety, which takes three to five seconds, the company claims.

While gathering feedback on ZeroEyes during visits to Faculty Council and SGA in early March, DePaul’s Director of Public Safety Bob Wachowski said the mass shooting at Brown University in December prompted his office to look into the technology.

His office added that the technology is “incapable of facial recognition, voice recording, or other invasive measures.” Public Safety did not share how many cameras would be equipped with the software but confirmed it can fund the technology within its existing budget. Another Chicago-area university is using ZeroEyes, but the office declined to share which one.

It is unclear how many false positives the system has had; but ZeroEyes made headlines in December when it flagged a Florida middle schooler with a clarinet as a person with a gun, according to the Washington Post. The student was wearing a military costume on a themed dress-up day, according to the report.

SGA president Prince Priyanshu learned about the technology while serving on the university’s Joint Council. While he thinks AI isn’t perfect, he said he was reassured by the technology’s human element, calling the system an “extra layer of protection” overall. 

“Considering the net-benefit it could have, especially in the uncertain times we live in, this is a solution that can help us prevent such calamity that can arise,” he said, adding that the university has upped its security measures overall since he started at DePaul. 

Priyanshu referenced the string of robberies near campus in 2023, one of which involved an offender striking a student in the face with a gun.

Shootings in Chicago rose 8% in the first quarter of 2026 after declining for four years, according to city data.

March saw two gun-related incidents near DePaul’s campus. On March 7, a person was shot and injured adjacent to the University Center dorm in the Loop. At the time of publication, Public Safety did not have further information on the shooting beyond its safety alert. On March 15, a man was critically injured when he was shot in his car near the corner of Ashland and Fullerton avenues, about half a mile from the Lincoln Park campus.

DePaul criminology professor Joe Leonas, who is also the chief of police for the Village of Lincolnshire, said it’s a “natural evolution” for law enforcement to use technology, but he stressed the importance of human verification.

“I don’t think it replaces anything. I think it can be used as an enhancement for overall safety,” Leonas said.

The CTA unanimously expanded its contract with ZeroEyes about a year ago, according to the CTA Board.

Since being installed, ZeroEyes has made approximately 82 detections, 10 of which were determined to be firearms and led to six arrests, the CTA’s vice president of security Kevin Ryan said at the April 2025 CTA board meeting where the company’s contract was extended.

Leonas said he thinks DePaul is doing the right thing, while adding that the university should inform the community of the type of technology it is using. 

“I think it’s smart. I think it’s trying to stay one step in front of everything,” he said, adding that the university still needs human public safety officers, cooperation with the police and continued education on campus crime prevention.

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