With the tragic violence that has visited upon schools and colleges, surveillance cameras are now an accepted part of campus security. There are some considerations about video surveillance that bear mentioning:

• Depending on the size of an educational institution and funds available, it is rare occurrence that all the surveillance cameras have live monitoring. There is usually not someone monitoring the video feeds. These data are recorded and stored. Surveillance cameras may not provide immediate security assistance.
• The quality of outdoor surveillance systems is subject to variables such as weather, moisture, dust, lighting and so forth. Focus quality is limited over a large area. The video surveillance is improved if the cameras are operator controlled. However, to have such a system at an educational institution is cost prohibitive.
• There is a failure rate associated with this equipment. A large campus may have hundreds - perhaps thousands - of surveillance cameras. Some simply do not work. Replacement and/or repairs are often not prompt. The mere presence of the cameras is supposedly a deterrent to criminal activity. This has been a point of debate.

Advocates of video surveillance acknowledge these shortcomings. The argument is that the technology is developing and the innovations will amaze. For example, video surveillance will be coupled with facial recognition data bases. Video surveillance will be augmented with auditory surveillance. If direct audio recording is not possible, then speech recognition software will translate the video images into text. Developments will continue because security spending will not abate.

Meanwhile, if you are curious as to the immediate solution to some of the aforementioned difficulties, some have suggested… more cameras.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster