Brea Olinda High School, in Orange County, Calif., is the winner of ASIS International’s School Security Funding Competition. As the winner of the competition, ASIS International, the preeminent organization for security management professionals worldwide, awarded the school $20,000 for security improvements.

The Brea Olinda Unified School District used the money to purchase six security cameras and related software for the high school campus. “Placement of the cameras was determined by a combination of referencing a security survey that had been completed for this campus, the recommendations from school staff and also the assistance of a consultant,” says Brea Olinda High School Principal Jerry Halpin.

Four cameras are positioned at entrances or parking lots to identify vehicles that may drive onto the campus. One camera is positioned to monitor activity at the football stadium and one camera will monitor the pool area. “Cameras are positioned to assist with the protection of district property and assets,” Halpin adds. “These cameras will be monitored throughout the evening and weekends by the on-site security person.”

Brea Olinda High School, situated on 50 acres, is the only comprehensive high school in the Brea Olinda Unified School District, serving Brea, Calif. The school is home to about 2,000 students in grades 9 through 12. 

The ASIS International School Security Funding Competition was open to public schools in Orange County, Calif. School administrators were asked to assess the level of security on their campuses, discuss how particular security concerns impacted their educational goals for students, and suggest how they would use the prize money to address those concerns and improve their school’s overall security.