Board hears results from ZeroEyes pilot; approves technology contracts as part of omnibus
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Summary
CTA security leaders reported results from a ZeroEyes gun-detection pilot—about 82 detections, roughly 10 probable firearms and six arrests—and the board approved related technology contracts on an omnibus vote. Officials emphasized human verification by a control center and discussed signage and communications to inform riders.
CTA security staff told the board on April 9 that a pilot of the ZeroEyes gun-detection system produced detections and arrests that officials said demonstrate operational value, and the board placed related technology contracts on the omnibus and approved them.
Pilot results and capabilities Kevin Ryan, vice president of security, summarized the pilot figures: "there's been approximately 82 detections made on the system, or around 10 actual lethal or determined to be firearms. Of those, recent ones, there's been 6 arrests." He said alerts are dispatched in under two minutes and are shared simultaneously with CTA operations, the Chicago Police Department and the city's Strategic Decision Support Center to allow rapid camera review.
Ryan and Caroline Gallagher, chief technology officer, told the board the agency selected ZeroEyes in part because the company routes detections through a staffed control center for human review rather than relying solely on automated AI decisions. As Ryan put it: "AI makes the detection, but they send it to a control center where, former military or law enforcement look at the pictures and determine make a determination ... If it's determined to be a probable firearm, it's sent immediately to 9-1-1 CPD."
Board concerns and communications Board members expressed support for the pilot results and also raised questions about public communication and signage. Several directors said they wanted the public to understand how the system is used and that human reviewers vet detections to reduce false-positive responses. Staff said they are working with the president's office and communications to develop messaging; security leaders said they would not disclose exact camera locations but would share success stories and general notice that the technology is in use.
Contract approvals and scope Caroline Gallagher described related technology procurements as part of a broader package of contracts placed on the omnibus and approved by the board. Kevin Ryan said expansion under the proposed contract would allow ZeroEyes coverage on up to 1,500 cameras, prioritized by historical crime data, station-area violence patterns and critical infrastructure locations.
Public-safety context Ryan emphasized the system is intended to provide rapid, actionable intelligence to responding officers and CTA operations and cited the six arrests as examples of prevention or rapid law-enforcement action: "Those are 6 guns taken off the system. 1 arrest was actually in that person, an armed robbery in progress."
Next steps Staff will finalize contract execution for the technology awards approved on the omnibus and return with implementation details. Communications staff said they will work on a public messaging plan and stakeholder engagement that explains detection protocols, the human-review process and how alerts are routed to law enforcement and operations.
