Documented Results

May 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Before installing a video surveillance system, administrators at Penn Manor High School, Millersville, Pa., and the school's full-time resource officer had difficulty monitoring all areas of the school at every moment of the day. Now, cameras provide continuous video of the interior and exterior of the school and have recorded more than 60 security incidents since 2005.

Penn Manor High School is home to nearly 1,900 students in grades 9-12. The facility boasts a library media center, a spacious gym, which seats more than 2,000 and a cafeteria that will seat 600. In addition to updated classrooms and lab facilities, the school has more than 700 computers connected to the Internet.

“Adding video surveillance technology to the school campus is an innovative way to make Penn Manor an even safer environment for the students and staff,” says Donald Stewart, superintendent of Penn Manor School District.

Inside the school, Dinion color cameras from Bosch Security Systems, Fairport, N.Y., monitor hallways, areas with valuable computer equipment and the cafeteria. Video surveillance of school exits also helps prevent truancy. Outside, Bosch EnviroDome and AutoDome cameras, which can withstand snow, ice or rain, monitor the parking lots and the bus entrances, and can zoom in on license plates, capture video of acts of vandalism or alert staff to unauthorized people on school property.

In the offices of the assistant principal and school resource officer, two 21-in. color monitors display video from cameras throughout the school. The administrators have the ability to view live and playback video simultaneously on the monitors. Using digital video recorders, administrators can also search through video files for recordings of security concerns.

Many of the nearly 1,900 students at the school understand that the video surveillance system is in place to protect them. When an incident occurs or a personal item is stolen, they often seek out administrators to see if there is a video recording of what occurred.

“Students appreciate that the administration is a stronger resource for them now,” says Christopher Moritzen, assistant principal, Penn Manor High School. “We can help them recover stolen items or address other issues. The cameras inform us of events that happen throughout the school when we can't have a physical presence.”

The video surveillance system has helped school administrators discover 24 instances of an unauthorized individual entering a restricted area, 12 thefts, nine physical confrontations between students and 18 instances of vandalism, including damage to computers and classrooms. Administrators can share video with parents in situations where disciplinary action is needed and provide video in digital form to law enforcement when evidence is required for court proceedings.

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