Sign Of Times: NJ School Cameras Fed Live To Cops

Demarest School District Installs Laptop Surveillance Videos Monitored,
Operated By Local Police

DEMAREST, N.J. (CBS) Jay Dow  ― Surveillance cameras rolling inside our local schools is nothing new, but what's taking place inside Demarest's public schools is truly cutting edge: a live feed from more than two dozen cameras with a direct connection to the police.

It's an expensive, but effective tool that could be a sign of the times with an increase in school shootings over the years.

The system, which cost about $28,000.00 can even track movement in a crowded room.

"When they arrive, they can pull up the school's live feed and do a sweep instantly," Demarest Police Chief James Powderley tells CBS 2.

Patrolling officers have access to the video feed from headquarters and several laptops. To address privacy concerns, all of the cameras are installed in public areas and are not equipped to pick up audio.

The video capabilities are extremely impressive. Each of the laptops can pick up 16 different angles at one time, turning a single operator into a mobile surveillance team.

In an emergency situation, Powderley says the cameras -- complete with zoom and pan functions -- also cut down search and response times. "One officer has 17 eyes in multiple locations. It's amazing," he says.

Schools Superintendent Larry Hughes says if nothing else, the ability to digitally timestamp and archive the video should discourage bad, even criminal behavior.

"It doesn't hurt that people know and that if something is going to take place at your facility, if it does deter people from doing that, it's an added benefit," says Hughes.

Students seem pleased with the high-tech devices.

"I would want the police to be there right away if something happened to our school. Especially with all these bomb scares happening now, I know the high school had a couple," says one student.

Plans are already underway to install a more advanced system in Northern Valley High school, which can alert a patrolling officer when someone is in distress or suddenly falls down.

FAIR USE NOTICE: The above may be copyrighted material and is made available on "Unglued" on a non-profit basis for educational and/or discussion purposes only. This is believed to constitute a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 USC § 107. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.   If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for  purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

As far as I know, it doesn't look like  Franklin Public School's will be installing the high-tech laptop surveillance video monitoring system at the high school any time soon. 

Not with a price tag of $28,000.  Especially after the Board just surprised us with a 5.9% school tax increase, rather than the 5.6% we didn't want, but were expecting.

I suppose it would be nice, though.  After all, we do have several bomb-threats each year.  We can be thankful we haven't had to deal with any type of school shooting and we hope that time will NEVER come. 

The reality is though, FHS is very close to the House of Correction, and it has had several escapees. 

And, on Nov. 2nd, three of our elementary schools were put in a precautionary "hold" due to an armed robbery during the morning hours down on 27th Street at a restaurant/bar. 

I don't know about you, but I would rather see this surveillance system installed at the schools than an auditorium.  A Franklin Cultural Center shared with the high school would do just fine in my opinion.

 To be continued in next post  . . . "The First of All Fears" . . .


What do you think about high-tech surveillance at schools?  At our schools?   

What about the safety of our students?