"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.
seriously...life has come to this? sigh...
Around these parts, individual officers are stationed in some schools and quite often they sit in the camera room of the school and watch from there.
That's okay, it's for the children. No amount can be too much when it's for the children.
BTTT
if only they had cameras at Ft. Marcy back in the 90s.
Conditioning the little skulls of mush so that they can later become good sheeple.
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.I’ve opposed government surveillance cameras for years.
A lot of Freepers came back with “If you aren’t doing anything wrong...............”
This is way, way over the line. So far over the line I have no words. And I’m not doing anything wrong.
I can imagine the cops at the station checking out the young talent.
“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” — William Pitt
If parents would provide adequate discipline at the home and schools were allowed to provide reasonable and acceptable discipline at the schools, we wouldn't have to rely on the police to watch our children’s every move.