Rekor Systems Inc (REKR)

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Rekor Announces Public Availability of FIRSTSight(TM) Predictive Intelligence Analysis Solution for Early Warning Threat Detection and Identification within Schools

8:31 AM ET 8/1/19 | Dow Jones

Powered by Machine Learning and Built on Principles from the U.S. Secret Service, FIRSTSight(TM) Seeks to Identify Threats and Behaviors of Concern and Stop Them Before They Turn into Violent Acts

COLUMBIA, MD / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2019 / Rekor Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:REKR)("Rekor"), a leading provider of innovative public safety systems, announced today the public availability of FIRSTSight(TM) , its innovative predictive intelligence analysis solution for early warning threat detection and identification within schools. FIRSTSight(TM) was used to monitor hundreds of schools in Florida, Montana and Michigan during the 2018-2019 school year and is available for just $3 per student per year.

FIRSTSight(TM) is more than just a monitoring solution. It incorporates 24/7 social media security monitoring powered by machine learning and a team of analysts backed by threat identification and prevention principles from the U.S. Secret Service. FIRSTSight(TM) includes the use of location-specific (geo-fence) monitoring around each school location, which increases our ability to identify concerning posts within each school's environment. Through advanced, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, open-source, public social media data is scraped using contextual analysis of key words such as "gun" or "shoot" or "hate" to identify potential threats and behaviors of concern. When a key word or phrase is identified by the system, an alert is sent to our experienced intelligence analysts to evaluate the post and address the potential concern or threat with school staff, as needed. Another key benefit of FIRSTSight(TM) is the ability for schools to contact our intelligence analysts directly for targeted monitoring related to a subject of concern or a specific event for which monitoring might produce useful intelligence.

"Often after a violent act in a school, we ask ourselves 'How could we have prevented this? How could we have known?' The fact is, many times there are public warnings, like social media posts, that if found and reported, might have prevented a tragedy. That's why we are pleased to launch FIRSTSight(TM) - to help identify these threats and behaviors of concern before they turn into violence," said Riaz Latifullah, Executive Vice President, Rekor Systems. "Our solution is robust and secure, and based on protocols used by the foremost experts in threat identification and prevention in the world - the U.S. Secret Service. And at $3 per student per year - less than the cost of a notebook - it's incredibly affordable and scalable as student populations grow or decrease."

There have been more than 460 incidents of gunfire on school grounds since 2013, including 181 deaths. While much of the discussion focuses on gun control, schools continue to focus on hardening their environments by implementing metal detectors and armed security to handle a threat once it arrives in a school. Our FIRSTSight(TM) solution focuses instead on assessment of potential threats and behaviors of concern, with the goal of identifying and stopping the threat or addressing the behavior of concern, before it ever escalates to violence on school grounds.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 45 million K-12 public school students and three million K-12 private school students in the United States.

To learn more about FIRSTSight(TM) and to find out how to implement at your school, please visit our website.

About Rekor Systems, Inc.

Rekor Systems, Inc. is a Nasdaq-listed (REKR) Delaware company. Our smarter, faster, cost-competitive solutions are disrupting major industries in over 60 countries across the globe, including security and surveillance, public safety, electronic toll collection, brand loyalty, parking operations, banking and insurance, logistics, and traffic management. We use the power of artificial intelligence to analyze video streams and transform them into actionable information for our clients. Our machine learning enabled software can turn most IP cameras into highly accurate and affordable vehicle recognition devices. Rekor provides advanced vehicle recognition systems, powered by its innovative OpenALPR software, which dramatically improves the accuracy of license plate reads and can also identify the make, model and color of vehicles. Rekor's solutions include mobile and fixed license plate readers, "Move Over" law enforcement, school bus stop-arm enforcement, and red light and speed enforcement, parking enforcement and citation management. Rekor's solutions help to protect lives, increase brand loyalty, and manage complex supply chain logistics. Our systems can dramatically reduce the cost of collecting tolls on major highways or manage congestion in the bumper-to-bumper traffic of large cities, without the need to install expensive new infrastructure. We make what was once considered impossible, possible. To learn more please visit our website: https://rekorsystems.com.