High schools might install surveillance cameras

ARGUS-COURIER | March 2 2006
By DAN JOHNSON

Some students feel they imposingly lurk over their affairs, a la Big Brother, while others think of them as friendly police officers, helping to identify perpetrators of crimes and other types of misbehavior.

And they may soon be watching over Casa Grande and Petaluma high schools -- if they are affordable.

They're video surveillance cameras, which have helped to reduce vandalism and other misbehavior at schools throughout the country, including Santa Rosa.

"We are looking into installing them because of a rise in vandalism and graffiti at the schools during off hours," said Dave Rose, coordinator of student services for Petaluma City Schools.

The district is targeting the high schools because they are larger, and therefore more susceptible to vandalism, Rose said.

He added that the school district's interest in installing the cameras at the schools has nothing to do with the increase in assaults from 17 in 2004 to 31 in 2005 and a rise in assaults with a deadly weapon or the use of an explosive device from zero to four.

Rose said the numbers are deceptive, because in 2005, the school district added a second school resource officer, partly to identify more misbehavior. Also, although physical assaults increased from 17 in 2004 to 31 in 2005, the schools did not include every such incident that resulted in a police report until 2005.

And while assaults with a deadly weapon or the use of an explosive device rose from zero to four in 2005, actually only two incidents occurred, with one involving three students.

"Less than one-half of one percent of our students are involved in assaults," Rose said.

The cameras would be installed in areas such as corridors, parking lots, quads and sports fields, he said.

Superintendent Great Viguie and Deputy Superintendent of Business and Administration Steve Bolman are checking into the cost of installing and operating the cameras, and funding sources. The cost for both schools could be more than $100,000.

Last modified March 2, 2006