Top 10 Ways to use Surveillance Cameras in Schools
Safety of children is of serious concern
Let’s be honest, most parents are increasingly concerned about the safety of their children and this is especially the case when it comes to school. It’s true, school security is a growing concern for parents due to recent incidents and changes in society relating to gun crime, child exploitation etc.
But how might we approach this matter without turning our schools into prison-like fortresses?
In this article, we examine how video surveillance can be used to secure schools across the United States without having any negative implications for students, teachers and overall performance.
Why Video Surveillance is Increasingly Important for Schools
Now, you likely know the statistics already but let’s consider the following…
UNICEF recently discovered that more than 50% of teens around the world have experienced violence at school in the form of bullying, physical fights or even punishment from a teacher.
According to the senior advisor of this study, “schools are not as safe as they should be” and an increase in weapon use, gang violence and cyber bullying does little to help the matter.
As if that’s not enough, CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 6% of students at high school have been either threatened or injured with a weapon such as a knife or gun – a frightening statistic.
In this same study, CDC also discovered that 7% of students had missed at least one day of school in the previous month because they felt it was unsafe to go to school. Syracuse University also support this unfortunate trend and state how more than 100,000 students are assaulted every day, while 5,000 teachers are threatened, abused and physically attacked.
Moral of the story: Violence is common in schools throughout the United States and more attention is needed to secure the education and livelihood of our children and their teachers.
And that’s just part of the story…
The More Sinister Importance of Security Cameras in School
Believe it or not, intruders can wander freely throughout many schools and educational institutions in the United States. But why and how can this happen so easily?
Well, access to these facilities is still not considered “high priority” in conventional risk assessments.
Yes, you will find metal detectors or bag checking in many schools but this is not standard procedure in the United States. It’s no wonder so many parents and teachers are concerned.
The truth is, while perimeter and access security measures are essential, surveillance cameras are often the only subtle way in which the school can be secured. You see, many schools or colleges are considered that such security measures will turn the school into a prison. Also, they fear that students and teachers will feel pressured or claustrophobic.
That being said, many school principals or authorities do not fully realize the subtle nature of video surveillance and in the following points, we a look at least intrusive methods and top ten ways to use surveillance cameras in school.
Top 10 Ways to use Surveillance Cameras in Schools
1. Safety and Surveillance Starts on the Way to School
Due to laws and regulations, audio recording on school buses is not always possible. However, as every parent will know, safety and peace-of-mind starts on the way to school. For this reason, security cameras should be installed on the outside and inside of every school bus.
Think about it:
It’s inevitable that the energetic nature of children will get out of hand from time to time. More specifically, this is more likely to happen in a place where children know that they are not being monitored. With this in mind, surveillance cameras can help the driver keep everyone in check, while outside cameras can help deter other motorists from violating traffic laws or driving dangerously.
2. External Placement to Deter Potential Threats
Surveillance cameras on the outside of a school will act as a deterrent for criminals and nefarious individuals. After all, the last thing these people want is to be caught in the act and statistics show that video surveillance is a major influencer in terms of crime in general.
For example, recent studies show that more than 50% of convicted burglars state the presence of video surveillance as a major influencer. In other words, these security cameras most often prompt potential burglars to move on in search of an easier target with no security systems in place.
At the very least, the external placement of security cameras on a school will make these individuals think twice about committing a crime.
3. Using Security Cameras to Monitor the School Parking Lot
As you know, most schools are always busy places with a constant influx of visitors each day. That is to say, while some institutions block visitors of any kind, most schools allow visitors to come and go.
And the busiest place of all? Try the parking lot after school or first thing in the morning.
What’s more, parents are often in a hurry at this time which only adds to the mayhem. As if that’s not enough, none of these individuals can know every other parent which raises concerns over unauthorized or unwanted persons from being present.
Security cameras enable school security to watch visitors entering and leaving the school, and provide an accessible resource for looking back at specific incidents that might take place.
4. Monitoring Visitors from a Main Point of Entry
Every school should have a main point of entry and ideally, a reception area in which they can install video surveillance. Now, that’s not to say there needs to be a receptionist but rather a central point in which the security team can control who comes in and out of the premises.
Aside from the student and teachers, this can also be used as a containment area for visitors. Upon arrival, these individuals should confirm their reasons for a visiting and a simple code pad can be used to gain access. Needless to say, this provides more control to the security team and more time for video surveillance to capture a good image of every visitor than comes and goes from the school.
5. Using Video Surveillance to Prevent Bullying in School Corridors
As already mentioned, bullying is a serious problem in schools across the United States. However, high schools and colleges report a significant reduction in bullying since installing video surveillance.
It also makes perfect sense, for bullying most often takes place away from the eyes of teachers and security. For instance, school hallways are busy places in which bullying can occur and teachers are powerless to see or do anything about these incidents. In the past, this has led to countless “he said, she said” scenarios but with video surveillance, teachers can quickly find out the truth.
You see, students tent to behave better in the presence of video surveillance. What’s more, any such incidents can be monitored and checked by a security team to see what really happened.
It should go without saying; security cameras are one of the most effective means through which to reduce and prevent school bullying.
6. The Case for Video Surveillance in the Classroom
Many schools are hesitating to install video surveillance in the classroom. Indeed, this is an interesting discussion and one that may carry on for quite a while. After all, many experts believe that video surveillance in the classroom is an invasion of privacy for both teachers and students.
In recent times, Texas became the first state in which schools are required to install security cameras in classrooms. However, this is only when parents have specifically requested such measures.
Just so you know, the reason for this law is because certain special education students are sometimes incapable of reporting violence or abuse at school.
Anyway, the point is, school leaders may be changing their approach to video surveillance in the classroom. If you have thought this one through properly, security cameras in the classroom might be a consideration once you have covered all the other main focal points in the school.
7. Where Else to Install Security Cameras on School Property
And where else might you think about placing security cameras in the school?
Bullying and safety are two of the main concerns for parents. For this reason, installing numerous security cameras around the school is a great way to provide peace-of-mind to the parents.
For this reason, it’s safe to say that video surveillance should be installed as much as possible – as long as it does not infringe on the privacy of those in attendance. As a rule, the main focal points for security cameras are places in which students funnel or gather such as the entrances to toilets, classrooms or the school gymnasium.
However, it’s important to remember that security cameras cannot be placed in private areas such as locker rooms or inside bathrooms. Also, it’s best to use these cameras in moderation in order to prevent the school from taking on the appearance of a maximum security prison!
8. Using Video Surveillance to Monitor Attendance
While safety is the main priority or reason for installation, video surveillance can provide many more benefits to schools – not the least of which is behavior and performance.
Security cameras can monitor every student than comes and goes from the school entrances. Quite often, principals will have an issue with certain students who are consistently late for school. Security cameras can help keep track of these students and even help solve the issue.
It’s true, without video surveillance, the principal or teacher is often powerless to show evidence of this kind of behavior. Surveillance can hold students accountable and teachers, too…
9. Video Surveillance for Maintaining and Improving Performance
Video surveillance can even remind teachers that their performance is being monitored and hence, ensure that performance in every regard is being held accountable by both students and teachers.
Furthermore, many major companies believe that cameras can help educational facilities assess and improve the process. That is to say, video surveillance can be used by teachers to illustrate good practice and provide feedback on what may or may not be working in their workplace.
Needless to say, this same accountability will apply to students when they know that an eye in the sky is keeping tabs on how they apply themselves at school.
10. Deploying a Security Team and Central Point of Access
You may notice in this article how I refer to “security team” rather than teachers or staff.
It’s essential for every security system to have a central point of access and dedicated individuals who can guarantee the provision of privacy. In other words, video surveillance should always remain in the hands of responsible individuals and never used for any purpose that might invade the rights of pupils and teachers. What’s more, there should be integration with access control systems to ensure this video surveillance is easily controlled and managed by the security team or person.
At the end of the day, video surveillance is there to protect teachers and students and this includes their right to privacy. With this in mind, the principal will need to establish a strict set of rules and policies around video surveillance and a dedicated security team is a great place to start.
Final Thoughts on Video Surveillance in Schools
Teachers and students have every right to feel secure and safe when they go to school. Similarly, parents should feel confident and assured that their child is safe in the care of the facility.
When video surveillance is installed correctly, this system will not only protect everyone involved but also provide a much better structure and platform to manage daily operations in the school.
Either way, there is no such thing as being “too careful” when it comes to bullying, gun crime, child exploitation or any other such matter – hence, the importance of security cameras in the school.
Get in touch for more information on video surveillance or security installations for schools.
