Michigan Schools Plan to Update Video Surveillance Systems
"It would allow us access from anywhere and anytime which then we can provide the same thing to law enforcement so that they are able to see what is going on at any building in real time," Superintendent Coby Fletcher said.
- By Jessica Davis
- October 11, 2018
Updating the video surveillance system throughout the school district is one of the many changes the superintendent of the Escanaba school district in Escanaba, Michigan, hopes to make if a $1.8 million sinking fund on the November ballot is passed.
"It would allow us access from anywhere and anytime which then we can provide the same thing to law enforcement so that they are able to see what is going on at any building in real time," Superintendent Coby Fletcher said.
Currently, the video surveillance system at Escanaba’s Upper Elementary School is not fully functional, and the livestreams live in a closet.
"Buildings operate their own camera systems and quite a few of those are out of date," Fletcher said.
The district would also use funds to address the visitor management process. At present, there is a person manning the school doors, but the person isn’t necessarily trained in security, according to an Escanaba teacher. The district would use funds to improve security by adding doors and sight lines to the main office.
If the millage is passed, the district would also add emergency radios between buildings and push-button lockdown procedures.
"If one building needs to go into lockdown, it’s also possible that something could be happening that all our buildings need to go into lockdown and we don’t want to be playing phone tag," Fletcher said.
Staff have received both mental health and school shooter scenario training, but the district hopes that the planned technology upgrades would boost the safety and security of their campuses.
If the proposed fund is passed, schools would receive the planned security upgrades within the first year of the four-year millage.
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.