Page 40 - Security Today, June 2018

The Head Count
How a school district’s police department securely shares digital evidence in minutes
BPy Andrew Elvish
utnam City Schools is the fifth largest school district in Oklahoma. The district serves more than 20,000 students and employees 2,500 staff in three cities: Bethany, Warr Acres and northwest Oklahoma City. More than 30 schools provide education ranging from
pre-kindergarten to grade 12, as well as alternative and special educa- tion programs.
While students focus on learning, Putnam City Schools Police De- partment works hard to keep everyone safe. Officers monitor schools 24/7 and also spend a lot of time conducting investigations and com- piling digital evidence for cases. Often, this involves working closely with local agencies to help keep their communities safe.
Managing Video Evidence the Old Way
Putnam City Schools PD handles criminal cases, internal investiga- tions and local police requests. This means they’re always searching for video evidence. In the past, finding and sharing that evidence was time-consuming and inconvenient.
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The chief or assistant chief of police would locate the archived video from a database folder, reformat it, and save it on a USB stick. For safe-keeping, they put the stick in an envelope and stapled it to the case report. Then, they would hand-deliver the package to recipi- ents. The risks were always a concern—the copy could get lost or end up in the wrong hands.
Upgrading to a Digital Evidence Management System
Today, Putnam City Schools is changing how its community shares information. The police department upgraded to Genetec Clearance, a digital evidence management system. The fact that the cloud-based solution is compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Priva- cy Act (FERPA) was a big selling point. This means that the system meets government cybersecurity standards, so video and other digi- tal evidence is always protected. For officers, sharing evidence with the district attorney’s office, principals or police is easier and faster. Without leaving their desk, they email recipients a secure link to the
VIDEO MANAGEMENT