Cleveland’s safety is, once again, being upgraded with the addition of functional security cameras. This is part of a district-wide process of upgrading older high schools to have the same level of security as the newer ones.
“[The security cameras] have been in the process of being added since August,” said Cleveland Vice Principal Sean Murray.
This process was in part a reaction to the security incidents last year in Cleveland and across PPS.
According to Murray, the cameras are positioned to help detect “incidents and issues around the bathrooms,” such as graffiti, as well as to secure entrances across the campus. The cameras have already proved helpful for these use cases.
“We usually have at least somebody looking at the cameras,” claimed Murray. This allows staff to monitor the outside of the school despite the small number of guards. Additionally, staff can review footage in the case of an incident.
“We can go back and look at it so if an incident does happen, it does help us provide evidence to support [the investigation of] who was responsible,” said Murray.
In the future, the school intends to finalize the addition of more cameras that were in the blueprints in order to make the campus more secure.
“We’re still hoping to add a few more [cameras] in specific areas around doors,” concluded Murray.