In an effort to state the state more than $13 million, the Michigan Department of Corrections has decided to eliminate the armed officers who protect the perimeter of 27 state prisons. The concern is that no one will be around to stop weapons, drugs, or other items from being thrown over the barbed wire fences to inmates. Instead, surveillance cameras around the perimeters will replace 120 patrol officers.
I was searching my email outbox archives the other day and I ran across a column that I’d written a few years ago about the use of video and integrated security systems. I was adamant that a camera be ruled out for an access control solution versus considering it as an optional feature. I still maintain that assertion. I’m not saying that every door should have a camera – every door should be considered for one – as an integrated component of your access control system.
The Maize Unified School District 266 (USD 266) serves more than 6,500 students in its five elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and alternative high school. Student and staff safety is a top priority at the district, which spans 42.5 square miles throughout Maize and Wichita, Kan.
The University of Miami, a private research university with more than 15,000 students in Coral Gables, Florida, had maintained a video surveillance system for a number of years, but many disparate systems made it difficult for campus police to monitor and investigate incidents.
At the University of Oregon, no stone is left unturned. Each evening, patrol officers from the university’s department of public safety go on a walk. They walk the campus to check buildings, the personal safety of students and staff and to maintain a presence on campus to deter crime.
OnSSI’s Ocularis software based IP video surveillance and security platform seamlessly connects and improves security processes and makes up for the limits of human capacity.
