CCTV IN OUR SCHOOLS –
Does it provide a clear picture for security? BY WILLIAM A. VANRYSWYK
On May 23rd, 2007, Jordan Manners was gunned down in a Toronto District School at 2:30 in the afternoon. On September 13th, 2006, Kimveer Gill shot and killed one person and injured nineteen others before taking his own life at Dawson College in Montreal. On December 6th,1989, Marc Lépine, armed with a legally obtained semi-automatic rifle and a hunting knife, shot twenty-eight people, killing fourteen (all of them women) and injuring the other fourteen before killing himself at the École Polytechnique in Montreal.
Exterior camera mounted on a Winnipeg school.
I could continue with other Canadian examples but the gruesome point has been made - shootings and stabbings in Canadian schools have become a reality. The question is, what are we prepared to do about it? Usually, the first solution brought to the table is to ‘install a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) system’. Most often these recommendations come from those who know little about CCTV, its benefits and its drawbacks. Don’t get me wrong – I am a strong advocate of CCTV – but only when it is used for the appropriate reasons and when properly supported. So how can we best use CCTV in our schools? The first question one must ask is, “what am I trying to achieve with the installation of these cameras?” If you are using cameras in hopes to deter violent crimes, you may be wasting your money. There are many studies that indicate CCTV has little bearing on deterring crimes such as robbery, murder and sexual assault. If, on the other hand, you are implementing a CCTV system to monitor staff performance or to help supervise students, respect for privacy and management of staff may come under scrutiny. There is no doubt in my mind that the
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School Plant Officials Association of B.C. Spring 2008
