Beyond video records: Why schools need modern surveillance

No matter their size, all schools face common and constant low-level issues — from vandalism and trespassing to petty theft and acts of bullying — as well as the threat of rarer but far more serious problems. For decades, schools have used cameras on site to deter bad acts on campus and to pursue resolution when possible. Typically, that meant incident-driven investigations with footage retrieved and reviewed only when an incident has occurred or is suspected.

That’s largely because most security video shows only ordinary, unremarkable activity — or no real activity at all. Scrubbing through it for significant moments is labor-intensive and therefore expensive. It’s also because footage stored in an on-site server or digital video recorder (DVR), never mind on cameras scattered around a school, can make video retrieval itself a time sink, especially if it requires an on-site visit.

That’s a shame, because recording and resolving security issues is not the only way surveillance can benefit schools. Luckily, cloud-based video management and AI tools have made it affordable to watch camera output virtually, 24/7. AI tools that scan every frame of video and classify what your cameras see make easy searching possible, so you can use plain language (“Red pickup truck” or “Man with red sweater”) to quickly find the objects and events that matter. Unlike a security guard, a video management system (VMS) never sleeps.  

Both AI and always-on capability let schools take advantage of the other advantages of modern surveillance.  

What cloud makes possible for schools

Instead of passive, after-the-fact tools to answer the question of “What happened?” surveillance cameras now can be used to proactively discover what’s happening now – and to act on it, too. Acts of violence and theft may be difficult to anticipate, but when they do happen, a fast response is called for. Unlike some crimes of opportunity, like the theft of a backpack or an unlocked bicycle, trespassing and vandalism often take over a longer period of time. Both may be stopped even while they’re happening if your surveillance system is smart enough to call your attention to them.  

AI can even spot a brandished gun and alert you to the danger immediately – something difficult to do for an in-person security team. The faster you can react, the more likely that a gun-related security issue will end without injury.  

But it’s not only destructive or criminal behavior that surveillance can help you manage. A modern surveillance system can also help you: 

• Combat vaping among students by alerting you to the presence of chemical vapors.
• Manage campus infrastructure and detect equipment failures by monitoring critical temperatures in hallways and heated or refrigerated areas. 
• Track vehicle traffic with license plate recognition, from drop-off and pick-up areas to school parking lots to bus loading zones. 
• Detect safety problems, such as potentially dangerous spills or flooding.
• Watch your campus and its perimeter closely and in high resolution, even when it’s dark.
• Manage access to campus by integrating access controls that help you ensure everyone on campus is authorized to be there.

One standout capability that cloud-based, AI-powered cameras deliver, and that conventional on-site surveillance can’t, is situation-based sharing of video streams. Our first-of-its-kind Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing means that if a 911 emergency strikes your school or nearby, cameras that you’ve selected can be shared directly and securely with local emergency operators, who therefore get eyes on the ground from your cameras’ perspective, and without keeping nearby witnesses in harm’s way. 

While all of these would be useful in nearly any school environment, surveillance systems need to fit a range of other common security requirements, including maintaining student privacy, meeting established standards for cybersecurity, and enabling cameras across a campus or an entire school district. And of course, every security tool also has to fit within the school’s budget — when tight budgets are the norm. 

Advantages, financial and beyond

Luckily, the advantages of cloud-based video surveillance extend to these technical and financial needs as well, in ways that conventional site-based systems can’t match. With video retained in the cloud rather than on-site, footage is preserved even if a camera is stolen or vandalized. And with video streams from all your cameras securely transmitted to a secure data center for simple availability from anywhere, scalability is an inherent feature of cloud-based surveillance systems. Adding an entire new school need be no more complicated than adding a single new camera to a hallway or gym.  

When cameras are isolated from outside connections, common cyberattacks on security infrastructure are simply impossible. That rules out your security cameras as entry points for malware, including ransomware. 

Cloud-based systems also extend the ability to place cameras, even in places where they might not have been practical before. That’s not only because retrieving video from on-camera storage would be difficult. Our rugged cabinet-based systems also enable placement in challenging environments, and enable solar operation for cameras far from wired power.   

A software-as-a-service model means that the costs of storage, processing, and system maintenance are shared among many customers, so you don’t have to overprovision an on-site system, or devote IT technicians to constant maintenance tasks. In the case of Eagle Eye Networks systems, you can even choose to procure systems for a low monthly subscription rate rather than purchase the necessary on-site equipment outright. 

Infrastructure for the present, and planning for the future

And with a solution like those from Eagle Eye Networks, you may be able to score another big budget win: You can get the advantages of a cloud VMS without ripping and replacing cameras. Eagle Eye Cloud VMS is compatible with more than 7,000 camera models using the ONVIF industry standard, so your existing cameras can stay useful for far longer. 

Before you take the next steps to implement a new VMS or upgrade a camera system already in place, be sure to sketch out your needs for the long term as well as the short, so you can build a system that makes sense, and makes the most of your safety investment.

Timothy Lord

Timothy Lord has witnessed and written about IT security trends and the ongoing evolution of SaaS for more than 25 years.