Security trailers around Pier Park using AI for public safety

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Skywheel in Panama City Beach is no longer the only attraction with a 360-degree view of Pier Park.

There are now eight of these mobile solar security trailers in and around Pier Park, and the cameras they use are smarter than your average Kodak.

“They’ve got facial recognition, license plate recognition, they detect gunshots, glass breaking, people screaming, tires squealing,” said Scott Jarrett, founder of Axess Technologies.

Jarrett says his security trailers use AI learning models to distinguish the difference between business as usual and a dangerous situation. His company does security globally, but he saw a need for this product here.

“It’s more public safety than I would say surveillance,” said Jarrett. “Just keeping an eye out for things that can be getting out of hand and also allowing the cameras to do its thing and kind of be a force multiplier.”

A shooting on March 29 at Pier Park injured three people. Panama City Beach police were quick to beef up security, adding the security trailers by Thursday, April 3.

“Unfortunately, that is what cameras do, people kind of change their behaviors and that’s kind of why these are here. To hopefully change behaviors and keep those things from happening,” said Jarrett.

The security trailers are equipped to alert Panama City Beach police of a growing crowd. While the cameras are smart, they were also designed not to infringe on privacy.

“They have sound analytics, but they are not designed to pick up conversations, they are mostly to pick up aggressive behaviors, sounds like glass breaking and stuff like that so if you are standing next to it having a conversation it’s not recording your conversation,” he said.

For anybody thinking about committing a crime at Pier Park, these cameras know what you look like.

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