The school made a drastic change in school security this year making our halls more heavily monitored than ever. The number of cameras patrolling our halls is now well over 100, and the quality of these cameras is greatly superior to anything else the school has had in the past.
With the new area of the building complete the staff felt an increase in cameras was a necessity. We now have around 130 cameras scattered throughout the building. “We had dead areas,” says Assistant Principal Teresa Wise, “To get all the different places we about doubled in our cameras.”
The numbers are not all that has improved. The quality of these cameras is much greater than anything the school has had before. The cameras shoot in color, they are all digital, and they are 4PTZ. (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)
“We can also pull them up on our computers,” says Officer Darren Combs, “Even my boss downtown can pull them up on his computer.”
The cameras regularly assist in thefts, automobile accidents, and help reduce fights.
“It makes it easier on everyone,” explains Wise, “Now we don’t have to pull 20 kids out of the classroom to interview, we can just look at the cameras and see what happened.”
It’s not only administrators that appreciate these cameras.
“It’s important that Glendale be considered a safe school, and the cameras promote that,” says Teacher Mike Snodgrass, “Students aren’t going to want to get in fights, or pull pranks, and it’ll keep people from getting hurt.”
While the teachers seem to be completely on board with the cameras, some students think otherwise.
“It’s really kind of scary,” says senior Alex Miller, “It’s starting to feel like students don’t have privacy anymore. I understand that in some places that’s completely necessary but I don’t think the school is one of those places.”
Some are for it, some are opposed, and some are just on the line of not really caring.
“I think there are better things they could have spent the money on,” says junior Philip Dougherty, “But you shouldn’t do anything in the halls you don’t want people to see. I really don’t think they’re that big of a deal.”