Last year, a vandalism incident occurred at Cam High that caused principal Dr. Kim Stephenson to propose the idea of installing security cameras on campus. Stephenson brought this idea to the district, and a year later, after other security breaches, cameras were installed throughout main hall, the A wing, and the E hallway.

According to Stephenson, a couple of months ago the A wing was being accessed after hours. The intruder would leave heaters on in classrooms and leave teachers worried about the safety of their rooms. The intruder’s identity was never discovered, but after this incident the district installed cameras at Cam High to promote safety and act as a test run for other schools experiencing similar security threats.

Dial Security, a well-established, family owned distinguished company, installed the remotely-monitored cameras on campus a couple of months ago. Stephenson was not involved in the process and was unaware that the district had gone through with her security camera request, but was happy to find out that Cam High was on the road to becoming a more secure campus.

“Our school culture is trusting of our kids, we’ve never really had a problem with our students,” said Stephenson. “The cameras are mainly there to create a safer environment for our students and faculty on campus. They are not, by any means, a reflection of the student body.”

Though buzz around campus has arose regarding the violation of student’s privacy and fear of being constantly watched, Stephenson assures that this is not the case. The cameras are on a 24 hour streaming system, where the footage is sent to Dial headquarters.

If suspicious activity is reported, Stephenson is able to contact Dial Security, or vice versa, to review the tapes. Stephenson does not have daily access to the footage, nor does any administrator on campus. The footage is merely there in case of emergencies, to quickly solve problems.

So far, the cameras are on hung around the front of the school, though if this test-run renders successful then the district may install cameras throughout Cam High’s entire campus. This test-run was implemented at Cam High to see if camera security systems are not only financially doable, but also effective. These results will then determine what the district will do for its remaining schools, regarding security and safety precautions.

The majority of the information regarding the intricacies of the software and the camera’s themselves is not available to the public. For security and safety purposes these details are kept concealed. Stephenson has full trust that Dial Security will keep Cam High a safe and secure environment for students and faculty.