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Columbia High School Students Reach Presidential AI Challenge Finals with Police-Focused AI Tools
Three students from Three Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri, were named as one of five finalist teams in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge held in Washington, D.C. The students—Aayan Behura, Aanya Shetty, and Aneesh Calyam—developed three artificial‑intelligence tools designed to assist the Columbia Police Department (CPD) and were recognized as state champions earlier in the spring.
The CPD partnered with the students over the winter to create the tools. According to the department, the students were accompanied by AI researcher Prasad Calyam of the University of Missouri and by Mark Fitzgerald, assistant chief of the CPD. The collaboration culminated in a national competition where the students’ project was selected as a finalist in their track.
During the Washington trip, the students toured the White House, the Capitol, and other landmarks. They presented their work to members of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and they spoke with leaders including Secretary Brooke Rollins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The students also attended an awards ceremony and reception in the White House Rose Garden.
The three AI tools are:
* Lens – An image‑analysis system that scans video footage for signs of criminal activity. Calyam explained that the tool can detect events such as a vehicle break‑in in real time.
* Cobra – A natural‑language‑processing application that analyzes 911 calls and produces structured data sets for officers.
* ReportGenie – A document‑generation tool that writes instant reports for law enforcement, according to Shetty. Shetty said the system “writes instant reports for law enforcement, and it saves them a lot of time on the back end.”
The CPD has stated that there are no current plans to deploy the tools in daily operations. Fitzgerald noted that community discussions would need to be held, and that any future implementation would require final approval from the Columbia City Council.
The students met with Fitzgerald dozens of times and presented directly to CPD leadership, including Police Chief Jill Schlude and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe. The partnership illustrates how local law‑enforcement agencies are exploring AI solutions while maintaining oversight and community engagement.
The Presidential AI Challenge, launched under a 2025 executive order to expand AI education, invites students, educators, and mentors to identify community problems and build AI‑powered solutions. The competition’s national finals in Washington, D.C. highlight projects that could have immediate civic impact.
At the state level, the students were named champions for their project in the spring, a recognition that helped secure the opportunity to compete nationally. The CPD’s involvement provides a real‑world testbed for the tools, though the department has not yet committed to operational use.
The outcome of the competition and the CPD’s future plans remain to be seen. The students’ participation underscores the growing interest in applying AI to public‑safety challenges, while also raising questions about oversight, privacy, and the role of community input in adopting new technologies.
The story illustrates a concrete example of high‑school students engaging with local government to develop AI solutions, the challenges of moving from prototype to deployment, and the broader context of AI‑driven public‑safety initiatives across the United States.
The CPD partnered with the students over the winter to create the tools. According to the department, the students were accompanied by AI researcher Prasad Calyam of the University of Missouri and by Mark Fitzgerald, assistant chief of the CPD. The collaboration culminated in a national competition where the students’ project was selected as a finalist in their track.
During the Washington trip, the students toured the White House, the Capitol, and other landmarks. They presented their work to members of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and they spoke with leaders including Secretary Brooke Rollins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The students also attended an awards ceremony and reception in the White House Rose Garden.
The three AI tools are:
* Lens – An image‑analysis system that scans video footage for signs of criminal activity. Calyam explained that the tool can detect events such as a vehicle break‑in in real time.
* Cobra – A natural‑language‑processing application that analyzes 911 calls and produces structured data sets for officers.
* ReportGenie – A document‑generation tool that writes instant reports for law enforcement, according to Shetty. Shetty said the system “writes instant reports for law enforcement, and it saves them a lot of time on the back end.”
The CPD has stated that there are no current plans to deploy the tools in daily operations. Fitzgerald noted that community discussions would need to be held, and that any future implementation would require final approval from the Columbia City Council.
The students met with Fitzgerald dozens of times and presented directly to CPD leadership, including Police Chief Jill Schlude and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe. The partnership illustrates how local law‑enforcement agencies are exploring AI solutions while maintaining oversight and community engagement.
The Presidential AI Challenge, launched under a 2025 executive order to expand AI education, invites students, educators, and mentors to identify community problems and build AI‑powered solutions. The competition’s national finals in Washington, D.C. highlight projects that could have immediate civic impact.
At the state level, the students were named champions for their project in the spring, a recognition that helped secure the opportunity to compete nationally. The CPD’s involvement provides a real‑world testbed for the tools, though the department has not yet committed to operational use.
The outcome of the competition and the CPD’s future plans remain to be seen. The students’ participation underscores the growing interest in applying AI to public‑safety challenges, while also raising questions about oversight, privacy, and the role of community input in adopting new technologies.
The story illustrates a concrete example of high‑school students engaging with local government to develop AI solutions, the challenges of moving from prototype to deployment, and the broader context of AI‑driven public‑safety initiatives across the United States.
