Thursday, February 16, 2017
YOUNGSTOWN
Southeast Security of Sharon Center, Ohio, is installing $168,300 worth of cameras – more than 100 – in East High School.
Not only is the process more than doubling the amount of cameras installed 12 years ago, but also adding clearer imaging, said Bill Morvay, Youngstown City School District chief of security.
“The older cameras weren’t digital. When we took the image to pull it up, it would just get more distorted,” he explained. “Under the new system, we’re actually able to take that picture and blow it up and it enhances the quality of the picture, plus the fact we are adding more eyes to the school.”
Morvay explained the cameras are being strategically placed to be most effective based on an assessment of the rounded hallways and congested areas.
Thomas Cutlip, Southeast Security engineer and project manager, said bringing cameras into schools isn’t really a new thing.
“We put a lot of cameras both in new schools as well as the older ones,” he said. “It keeps everything and everyone safe and lets you know when trouble is caused, who caused it and what happened.”
Morvay added that in most schools, cameras are a necessity.
A new aspect to the updated system is watermarked images in the digital feed.
“The images are watermarked so they can’t be doctored,” Cutlip said. “If need be, they can be used in court. Technology advances have made that a very viable option.”
Chief of Operations Joe Nohra said the installation is part of a directive to provide a safe environment for students.
“We are just trying to support the progress of making the building safe for kids and good for educational purposes,” he said.
The addition of more cameras, however, is just a layer in the entirety of security for the schools.
“It’s not the panacea of it,” Morvay said. “It’s merely an added feature.”
Cutlip agreed and called the cameras an “added tool for everyone to use.”
The tool functions beyond security as well.
“It can even be used if something happens like a medical issue to determine the exact location and coordinate with safety services,” Morvay said.