Changing Attitudes to Security on Campus
Student safety is the top priority for schools and universities. To create an environment fit for education, campus security is of utmost importance.
Whilst a serious incident on your campus may be unlikely, the threat still warrants planning and preparation. The safeguarding of students benefits when both technological and human responses are considered.
In this article, we look at how to prepare for an event on campus.
Change Attitudes to Smart Camera Technology
You may already have a security camera system in place. However, technology gradually outdates and becomes unreliable. When this moment arises, ensure your on-site security does not fail by setting high expectations for your next camera system.
With surveillance technology, do not overlook reliability. We rely on technology to perform everyday functions. Confidence that your security camera system is functioning correctly is key. Not monitoring certain areas of your campus will jeopardise student safety. For this to occur due to downtime or unreliability of the system is impermissible.
You will have a range of demands from a new camera system and usability should be one of them. Do not purchase technology that is too complicated to administer. Instead, a straightforward user interface, even to non-technical staff, is a huge benefit. Alongside ease-of-use, consider vendors that provide automatic feature and security updates. A surveillance system that receives updates ensures campus safety is always improving.
Lastly, consider the deployment process. A system that takes considerable time to install may be too complex for your needs. Instead, find a solution that employs a Power-over-Ethernet connection to bring you online in minutes. As with all procurement exercises, it is important to identify your own vulnerabilities before making a decision.
Change Attitudes to the Responsibility of Security
Technology can go a long way to improving campus safety. However, combining a camera system with a new attitude to security goes a lot further. As technology has moved towards cloud-based solutions, the responsibility for administering certain areas of your business may also have shifted. In the case of security, this may transition from on-site security teams, to in-house IT departments. Despite this shift, the responsibility for student safety should be shared faculty wide.
As we have touched on, it is important to be proactive. Work as a team to identify the vulnerable areas. Certain locations may have a history of misdemeanours (such as vandalism, graffiti or other low-level crime). In locating these hotspots, a smart camera system will alert staff as unwanted activity occurs. Motion detection is in-built to certain systems. This allows you to safeguard without having to monitor each frame of footage.
Modern camera systems are powerful tools. Footage sharing, remote access and notification alerts allow users to respond to cases immediately. Moreover, local authorities may require access to material as serious incidents arise. As response times improve, so does the potential to prevent danger and save lives.
New, intelligent, security systems will ultimately change the way your staff operate. Actions traditionally performed by security staff may alter. With technology becoming more dependable, camera systems take on more of the surveillance functions. However, it is still paramount to develop a strategy that shares responsibility, and gets the best from both the human and the hardware.
Change Attitudes amongst Pupils on Campus
It is common to overlook pupil behaviour. More often than not, incidents that occur by or between pupils requires a response. Whilst outside factors may strike the most fear, cases involving third parties (such as intruders) are less common. Calling upon camera technology removes any ambiguity out of student incidents, where both parties may protest innocence.
The ability to scrub footage to a particular time or camera feed can pinpoint incidents. Doing this allows you to address unacceptable behaviour without compromising student privacy. Audit logs are now a common feature of security camera systems, and by tracking user activity, we can keep student data secure.
Holding staff accountable for their use of the technology reinforces good behaviour amongst students. In turn, security teams and administrators know they are providing a safe place for student learning to flourish.
If you would like to learn more about how we can provide you with the means to achieve the best retail loss prevention, do not hesitate to give us a call today on 020 7846 3300 or send an e-mail to [email protected] and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.
