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yesterday

False AI Gun Alert on Doritos Bag Prompts Review of School Surveillance in Baltimore

Local officials move to scrutinize school security tech following a misidentified threat that led to a student's detention.

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Councilman Mark Conway holds a news conference after visiting Penn North Plaza, a subsidized senior residential building. Conway, who launched his Congressional campaign last week in Penn North, talks about several issues and his commitment to work for those in underserved areas. (Kim Hairston/staff)
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Overview

  • Bodycam and school video show officers detaining 16-year-old Taki Allen at Kenwood High before determining the flagged object was a Doritos bag.
  • Baltimore County Public Schools says its safety team canceled the Omnilert alert, but the principal did not see the cancellation and informed a school resource officer who called police.
  • Superintendent Myriam Rogers and Omnilert defend the system as operating with human verification, while Baltimore County Police say officers responded proportionally to the information provided.
  • Baltimore County Council members Izzy Patoka and Julian E. Jones Jr. seek a review of Omnilert’s deployment, and Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway plans oversight hearings on school AI security contracts.
  • Recent scrutiny extends to broader contracts and claims, with BCPS using Omnilert under a multimillion-dollar deal and Baltimore City schools employing Evolv scanners as civil liberties groups warn of predictable false positives and student harm.