Does Your School Need a Security Camera System?
By: Linda Richardson

It's every administrator's worry. Something happens to one of your students. Maybe they were robbed; maybe they were a victim of bullying. You have to ask yourself, "Could I have prevented it?" and you know that the parents will ask that same question.

You may say, "We're a private school. We don't have the kind of crime that occurs in public schools." Granted, the statistics show that private schools do, in fact, have lower crime rates than public schools.

Even though the statistics show a definite difference between public and private school crime, if one of your students is one of the ones who was threatened with injury by a another student, do the statistics really matter?

And, the statistics don't tell the whole story. There can be key factors that affect the crime at a particular school, especially location of the school. Many private schools are located in urban settings. Some of these settings are in high-crime areas. Even the schools in suburban settings are not immune to crime.

So, what can security camera system do for your school?

The best thing about cameras is the deterrence factor they introduce to outsiders who do not belong on campus and to students and employees who do. It is assumed that most kids are not going to step way out of bounds if they believe they will likely be caught, which is often possible through the appropriate application of cameras. Knowledge of cameras at the school will generally spread through a community. This type of reputation can make outsiders reconsider an unwelcome visit to the school. Peace of mind of both students and faculty can be quickly enhanced by the installation of CCTV. Many school security camera systems are also monitored by local law enforcement. If an incident does occur, the response time from local police can be greatly reduced.

The second important function of a security camera system is addressing an incident after it occurs. A security camera system can provide school administrators or security officials with information that would not otherwise be available. Once the perpetrator is caught, there is a chain of events involving confrontation, denial, parental involvement, consequences, and perhaps involvement of law enforcement and the legal system. School administrators will be forced to spend a great deal of time on the matter, and all participants will find the process distasteful. Many schools report that when students are brought into the school office after an incident and shown recordings of themselves in an illegal or unacceptable act, the student will usually admit to the incident. Parents don't want to believe their children are not innocent, but they quickly accept it when they see a recording.

A security camera system can capture scenes indicating who started a fight in the hallway, who is smoking marijuana in the parking lot, or who stole all of the blank CDs out of the computer lab.

The third advantage of a security camera system may be cost savings. They can free up manpower for more appropriate work. Incidents at school can consume the valuable time of both teachers and administrators. By preventing vandalism, camera systems also result in direct savings to the school. Additionally, the documentation that a video recording provides can be invaluable in situations involving liability claims or lawsuits.

Lastly, we are reaching a point where parents are now insisting on better security for their children. Recent events highlight the need for improved security, and security camera systems are an integral part in meeting this need. In addition, many private schools have high-profile students. These students might be children of celebrities, political figures, or leaders in the local community. Their parents frequently insist on security camera systems, and we have known of circumstances in which parents actually fund the installation of security camera systems.

However, security camera systems are not the panacea for all security problems. They can be used correctly, and they can be used in ways that are not truly effective.

The most effective use of security cameras are for the purposes of viewing and recording key events in many different locations throughout the school. Security cameras can be strategically places to view parking lots, entryways onto the school grounds, cafeterias, patios, entrances to buildings, hallways, gymnasiums, computer rooms, science labs, band halls, and administrative offices.

What a Security Camera System Can't Do
Many schools also insist that their camera systems be monitored continuously by school security personnel. But, this live monitoring might give a false sense of security.

Live experiments at Sandia National Labs for the U.S. Department of Energy demonstrated that sitting in front of video monitors for several hours a day and watching for particular events demonstrate that such a task, even when assigned to a person who is dedicated and well intentioned, will not support an effective security system. After only 20 minutes of watching, the attention of most individuals has degenerated to well below acceptable levels. Monitoring video screens is both boring and mesmerizing. Trying to use a camera system to stop a student fight in its early stages, prevent someone from bringing weapons into the facility, or catching a thief before he makes his escape are great goals, but they are seldom achieved. Considering the ineffectiveness of monitoring video in real time, it would seem to be very poor use of school security staff.

There are, however, some effective uses of live monitoring. One practical application of real-time viewing of a video monitor might be the intent to actively allow or disallow individuals to enter a particular locked door. Another might be the monitoring for a certain incident that is expected at a school during a finite time, such as during the noon hour when cars in a parking lot are frequently broken into.

As you can see, security camera systems can be an important weapon in improving security at your school. But, beware! Too often, these technologies are not applied appropriately in schools and are expected to do more than they are capable of, or are not well maintained after initial installation.

Before purchasing a security cameras system, your school administration should develop a clear set of realistic goals and specific objectives. These objectives will drive the placement of your security cameras and ensure that your systems assist in maximizing security at your school.

Linda Richardson is the director of product marketing at Video Insight, www.video-insight.com .