November 2007 — Special Feature
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Does the Eye Spy?
Around-the-clock video surveillance is the Holy Grail of K-12 safety efforts. But it raises many questions, including whether or not the cameras are a wholly benign presence.
SOME OF THE WORST COLLATERAL damage from a tragedy doesn't occur till after
the smoke clears; namely, the usurping of the name of the location where the event took place,
which over time gets repurposed into metaphor and served as a caveat. Vietnam has resonated
for decades as a reference to protracted war. Kent State is likewise laden with meaning. And
now, Columbine and Virginia Tech have become ingrained as shorthand for
campus killing sprees. Both events pointed up in the starkest way the
fragility of school security and ratcheted up safety efforts at
educational institutions across the country.
At the head of every school's security wish list is video surveillance, which districts are embracing at breakneck speed. In the "School Safety Index," a report released this past summer by technology reseller CDW-G, 63 percent of the 381 responding districts said they have installed security cameras, with many more considering their use over the next two years.
Still, finding those solutions is a process rife with obstacles. "In terms of technology, video surveillance is one of the most challenging decisions a school district can make," says John Navarro, senior systems integrator for Phoenix-based Stanley Security Solutions. "It's one thing to have cameras; it's another to be strategic about them."
How, then, can a district be strategic? Naturally, by doing its homework.
LENS CAP OFF: CHECK!
READY TO LAUNCH VIDEO SURVEILLANCE IN YOUR SCHOOL? SOME KEY ISSUES MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE CAMERAS START TO ROLL.
- Make sure the local area network has enough bandwidth to support the cameras.
- Install backup power sources, critical in the event of a blackout.
- Purchase enough storage to record at least 30 days of video and keep it on site.
- Invest in an insurance policy that covers damage to cameras.
- Inform teachers that they are going to be recorded.
- Notify parents that their children will be recorded.
- Establish a liaison with the local police department so you know whom to contact in the event of an incident.
- Set up a real-time interface with sex-offender databases to keep track of predators who might enter the school.
Choosing Wisely
Once you've decided you want video surveillance, the first big issue is picking cameras. This can be a tricky proposition—so many bells and whistles, such a limited budget. Granted, district officials don't have as many options with video surveillance as they do with, say, laptops, but a sizable camera purchase requires some key decisions before an investment can be made.
