3 Best Practices for Installing Outdoor Commercial Security Cameras in Schools

Teachers and school administrators can’t be everywhere, so security cameras are an excellent tool for keeping extra eyes in schools to prevent intrusion, vandalism, theft, fights, and other incidents. However, there is a delicate balance between providing increased safety and security and making both students and staff feel like Big Brother is watching. When employing commercial outdoor security cameras in a school setting, several questions and best practices can help guide your decisions to enable a safer school campus. Keep reading below for issues to consider and the best practices for outdoor surveillance in your Woodlands, TX school campuses.

SEE MORE: 3 Tips to Optimize Your Commercial Security Camera Installation

Questions to Consider

You don’t necessarily need to cover every inch of your school with video surveillance. You should think critically about the most important security challenges your school faces. What is the most pressing security issue, and what has it been in the past? What security measures do you currently have in place? Is the school in an area where violence and crime are an issue?  Are there areas where problems have been common, like vandalism on outdoor walls or broken windows? Has there ever been a situation where a camera capturing an incident would have been critical?

Logically considering problem areas will help you maximize your investment in outdoor surveillance cameras without giving the appearance that your school is a high-security location – it's still a school.

Best Locations

After considering where you need the visibility from a security camera, consider the most critical places where they can enhance safety and security. Cameras in parking lots can help monitor areas for personal safety, especially for students and staff arriving early and leaving late. Cars are common targets for theft and vandalism, and cameras can serve as an effective deterrent and identify perpetrators of incidents.

Access control systems are increasingly being deployed in schools to track visitors and prevent intrusion, and security cameras are highly effective in augmenting these measures. Place cameras at outdoor entrances to track and record visitors. Cameras can be used at secondary exits to track students leaving the campus when they are supposed to be in school. In Texas, attendance records are utilized for school funding, so tools for ensuring students are in school are critical aids.

Balancing Privacy

When deploying outdoor security cameras, privacy considerations come into play. Students, staff, and visitors may need to be apprised of what’s being recorded and where. School and district administrations need to consider security camera use in the organization’s overarching privacy policies.  Consider using cameras only where required and not where the possibility of creating undue privacy concerns is high, or the risk of incidents is low. Places where vandalism, theft, bullying, violence, or other serious occurrences can happen are the best ways to deploy school surveillance solutions.

ASAP Security Services has vast experience across Texas with sophisticated security and surveillance solutions in both the public and commercial sectors. To learn more about surveillance cameras and commercial security solutions, set up a consultation with our team by calling (877) 418-ASAP, filling out our contact form, or starting a live chat with us below. We look forward to working with you!