Page 23 - Campus Security & Life Safety, January/February 2020

in an instance. And then there are potentially problematic areas hid- den from public view, like behind the bleachers and in back of struc- tures where assaults or drug deals might occur without any visibility for security teams.
There are a number of camera types that can help you maximize your field of view while minimizing your camera count. As you explore your options, look for features like:
• Wide angle and panoramic cameras to give you a broader field of view • Wide dynamic range technology to capture sharp images in
shadow and bright sunlight
• HDTV and megapixel resolution cameras that are so sharp they
can capture the denomination of the bills exchanging hands at the
concession stand or ticket booth
• Multi-sensor cameras that can record events in multiple directions
simultaneously
Implementing Advanced Preventive Measures:
Analytics and Other Enhanced Technology
Because athletic fields are a tempting after-hours target for vandals, even a single trespass could leave you facing significant clean up and repair costs.
But there is another population that should concern you as well. Your fields can also be a tempting venue for weekend warriors to get a workout.
If they slip on a wet bleacher or trip on a rock, they might try to hold you liable, even if they did not have permission to be on school property. For schools with more generous budgets, there are addi- tional technologies you could deploy to keep intruders out.
• Dwell time analytics embedded in a camera can detect suspicious
loitering and send an alert to school security or local police
• Radar technology can provide additional information about detected objects that video cameras can’t – such as their exact posi-
tion, and the speed and direction of their movement
• Extremely lowlight sensors give cameras the ability to record full- color images in nearly complete darkness, saving the need to illuminate the field to capture intruder details
• Cameras equipped with infrared capabilities are another option for nighttime surveillance
• Thermal cameras can detect approaching intruders by their heat signature, even if they are camouflaged by darkness or hidden in shrubbery
• In addition to sending alerts to security staff and/or local law enforcement, cameras and radar can also be configured to trigger a loudspeaker horn to broadcast a verbal warning that police are on their way, which hopefully would convince the would-be intruder to flee
Make Sure Your Athletic Fields are Part of Your School’s
Security Management Program
It is time we recognize that unprotected athletic fields present sig- nificant liability issues for schools – whether it is hosting after- school-hours athletic events or allowing the general public to use the school’s facilities and equipment without supervision.
In the first six months of 2019 alone, the United States recorded multiple violent crimes on school sports fields, reminding us of just how vulnerable these areas really are. If your school possesses ath- letic fields, their protection should be part of your overall school security management program.
Just as you deploy technology, policies and procedures to mitigate problems inside the school, you should apply the same level of secu- rity rigor to your athletic fields, where crimes often take place when school staff members are not present. Otherwise you may end up facing some major liability issues that you never expected.
Bruce A. Canal is the business development manager for K-12 and Higher Education for Axis Communication Inc.
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