Page 100 - Security Today, April 2018

COVER STORY
video live, or simply record it, may be based on a variety of factors, but I’m a big propo- nent of using a video system to its fullest extent, and that means doing both. Recorded video can be used for post-incident forensics, but live monitoring can help eliminate or pre- vent certain events from happening in the first place.
A monitoring policy should identify who has access to the video on a live and recorded basis, and what they are able to do with that video. Many larger districts now have their own police force, and they are the ones responsible for viewing the video. Adminis- trators, from principals on down, also typi- cally have access.
Most well-developed surveillance systems keep an internal log of who signed in, their level of authorization, and the specific actions they took within the system. This auditing capability eliminates the need for keeping a manual log and can provide assurances that access to the system is not abused.
SHARING OF VIDEO
If a school intends to share video with the local city or county police, they should broad- cast that policy when the video system is put in place, stating conditions under which the police may be given live access or provided with recorded evidentiary video. If those pol- icies aren’t established up front, before an incident takes place, then when something does happen and the police want to review video, they need to go through the legal pro- cess of subpoenaing it. Plan ahead for this possibility; it will save you time and frustra- tion later on.
STORING AND SECURING OF VIDEO
Schools should define the length of time for which they will store video in their system. I recommend somewhere between 60 and 90 days. With that length of a window, the school will generally have heard about any incidents and had time to investigate and archive any relevant video. Keeping video longer than three months can become prohibitively expensive and really isn’t necessary.
The public should also feel confident that the network and devices on which the video is stored are secure. Like all systems, the surveil- lance software should have strong password protection and the school should have policies in place to make sure that only the right people are logging in. Many of today’s security sys- tems integrate into Microsoft’s Active Directo- ry, meaning that IT administrators can quickly and easily disable log in credentials when
employees leave the organization.
SHARING YOUR POLICY
Once you’ve put together a “use policy,” make sure that it’s available to the community. Include it in student handbooks, staff hand- books and on your website. I also recommend reviewing it annually to make sure that it remains accurate and appropriate for your current needs.
Today’s administrators are under great pressure to make sure that they are doing everything they can from a security stand- point, even when some decision they make aren’t popular. Creating a “use policy” can play an important role in assuring all stake- holders that surveillance cameras installed to enhance security will be used respectfully and responsibly.
Bret McGowen is the senior vice president of sales and marketing at Vicon.
References
1. “Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016”, National Center for Education Statis- tics, U.S Dept. of Education
2. “Back to the Drawing Board”, ACLU of Mas- sachusetts, October 2015, authors: Kade Crockford and Jessie J. Rossman
3. Texas Association of School Administrators, Cameras in Special Ed Classrooms, Legislation SB 507
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