California High School Considering Security Robots
Clovis North High School may be testing security robots as soon as February.
- By Sydny Shepard
- January 22, 2019
Security robots have become commonplace in facilities like shopping centers, sporting areas and large corporate campuses, but now they might be coming the patrol high school hallways.
Clovis North High School has been asked to test security robots manufactured by Knightscope as early as next month. Three robotic security guards would patrol the halls and parking lots of the campus.
Knightscope has offered to put two robots in the parking lots of the school and one in the hallways to serve as the eyes and ears for the security team on campus.
"They will puck up 360-degree video and will also pick up sound in additional to our stationary cameras that are sometimes limited to what we can film," Superintendent Darin Tockey said.
Since the robots can go almost anywhere on campus, Tockey believes they will act as a deterrent against negative behavior by students on campus and anybody else in the community thinking about coming on campus.
“With over 100,000 schools in the country, we need to develop a new set of tools and technologies as a critical part of our long-term mission to better secure the United States of America,” said William Santana Li, chairman and chief executive officer, Knightscope, Inc. “Being able to utilize a real-world environment to test, sample, and iterate on new capabilities while inspiring students to pursue STEM careers is certainly a winning combination."
If the Clovis North parents approve the new security measures at a Town Hall meeting in January, the robots could be deployed in February. School administrators and Knightscope representatives will be present at the meeting to answer parent questions.
Photo courtesy of Knightscope.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.