Dayton Public Schools Investing $3.3 Million in Surveillance

Dayton Public Schools Investing $3.3 Million in Surveillance

According to Associate Superintendent Shelia Burton, Dayton Public Schools will increase the number of cameras on all 27 campuses while upgrading to newer video surveillance tech with clearer images.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • November 30, 2018

Dayton Public Schools in Dayton, Ohio, is investing $3.3 million in upgrades to its video surveillance equipment in all 27 of the district’s schools. The changes were spurred by multiple instances where current cameras were unable to capture incidents on campus with enough detail to identify suspects.

In a May 2016 incident at World of Wonder school, a 7-year-old girl was stabbed during recess on the playground but camera footage wasn’t clear enough for the attacker to be identified by police.

“Throughout my time on this board, probably the most emotional instance for me was the stabbing at World of Wonder,” DPS board member John McManus said.

This year, there were also legal questions with the Ohio High School Athletic Association about Dunbar basketball eligibility due to questions about an on-court fight. Security cameras in Dunbar’s gym didn’t completely cover the court and participants in the brawl were misidentified, leading to Dunbar’s ban from the 2019 postseason.

According to Associate Superintendent Shelia Burton, Dayton Public Schools will increase the number of cameras on all 27 campuses while upgrading to newer video surveillance tech with clearer images.

“The cameras we have now are limited,” Burton said. “We can’t get many angles. … With these new cameras, we can get more of a 360-degree view, and the quality is much, much better.”

Burton said the new cameras will also have a significant boost to video storage capacity in case Dayton Public Schools needs to review previous footage. The system is “as state-of-the-art as we can afford,” Burton said.

DPS Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said the district’s current cameras are as old as the buildings themselves—more than a decade old, and “an old technology.” She said district officials have been working on the camera upgrade project for months, comparing systems at other Ohio schools.

“We’re going from analog to digital, and the quality is just phenomenally, vastly different,” said Richard Wright, DPS executive director of safety and security. “We’ve had issues with clarity and being able to identify individuals. This will help us better identify the subjects we have on video for information we can turn over to Dayton Police or other law enforcement.”

According to Lolli, the new equipment should be set up by the end of this school year.

“It’s a move in the right direction for students,” Wright said, “to make sure students and staff are safe.”

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Electrified Latch Retraction Locks Key Benefits for Retrofits

    Building owners and facility managers increasingly rely on electrified hardware to enhance security while meeting accessibility standards. Among these technologies, electrified or motorized latch retraction locks are especially effective for retrofit projects where existing door and frame conditions complicate upgrades. Latch retraction capable locks combine security, accessibility and code compliance benefits, making them ideal for retrofitting fire-rated and non-rated openings in schools, healthcare facilities, commercial buildings and more. Read Now

  • How Cloud Security Solutions Are Transforming Campus Safety

    Campus administrators today face a challenging mandate: deliver stronger security across their facilities while working within tighter budget constraints. From school districts focused on student safety to hospitals protecting patients and staff, the question remains the same: how do you build security infrastructure that evolves with your needs without requiring massive capital investments? Read Now

  • Rethinking Campus Security From the Inside

    For decades, campus security strategies focused on keeping threats outside school walls. But since the tragedy at Columbine High School, data has shown that many attacks begin inside the building, often in classrooms and corridors. This shift has prompted schools to rethink security from the inside and place greater emphasis on interior elements such as classroom doors. This shift is evidenced by a new generation of classroom door systems engineered to delay inside intruders and an ASTM standard that raises the bar on how these systems must be designed to defend against attack. Read Now

  • AI in Security: Advancing Campus Safety and Considerations for Implementing

    Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture attention across every sector, and the physical security industry is no exception. Once seen as experimental, AI-enabled analytics now underpin how organizations monitor environments, detect threats, and make decisions. What was once futuristic is now a practical necessity for safety professionals managing growing volumes of data, tighter resources, and increasing expectations for faster, more accurate responses. Read Now

Most   Popular