Aug 21

Written by: Bret Rachlin
8/21/2008 4:21 PM

A recent fight at Butler High School in Augusta, GA, left one student beat up. The male victim claims that he was rushed by a group of boys so quickly that he doesn’t know what happened (Source: WJBF-TV, 8/20/2008, Parents Say Richmond County School Video Surveillance Is Faulty). The student’s grandmother asked the school to provide video of the fight, but “no footage could be produced.” While she theorizes that the cameras were actually ‘dummies’, the school district superintendant countered that the schools “have very few that are not live cameras. If they malfunction, it is incumbent upon the school to report it, turn in a work order, and get it serviced.”

According to Butler High School representatives, all of the cameras were off and they submitted a work order to fix the cameras on August 14th.

There are two issues here that need to be addressed. First, video surveillance is only as good as the people, processes and technologies that support the security program. To ensure cameras are working regularly, some network video systems notify users when a camera malfunctions, allowing them to fix the problem as soon as possible. Network video is as affordable as older analog video systems and is often better equipped to share video with multiple parties, including law enforcement more efficiently.

Second, schools implementing video surveillance need to communicate to students, parents and staff how their video security program works. If schools choose to leverage ‘dummy’ cameras or hidden cameras, then they need to notify people coming to the school (potentially through signage located throughout the school) that areas where they think they may be under surveillance may not record anything and other areas where they think there are no cameras, surveillance may actually be taking place (with the exception of logical places, such as restrooms and locker rooms). These are decisions that each school needs to make based on its unique school needs after a consultation with local law enforcement, as well as parents and other relevant parties. If the decisions are influenced by the community, then the communications part can be delivered more easily.

How does your school implement video surveillance? Do you use ‘dummy’ cameras? Do you use hidden cameras? How do you notify your community about your video surveillance policy?

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