Article Contributed on: 5/23/2007 9:29:33 AM
The Douglas County School District is looking into purchasing technology that allows law enforcement to look inside schools through cameras in the event of an emergency.
District officials and local law enforcement agencies visited a demonstration held at Castle View High School, 5254 N. Meadows Drive, on May 16 to see how the technology works. Westminster-based Security With Advanced Technology (SWAT) demonstrated its AgileMesh products, a line of wireless, mesh network video surveillance systems.
The system allows officers to plug into the school's cameras and view images within minutes of arrival on an emergency, allowing them to get a real-time view inside the school. In some cases, officers would be allowed to zoom in and out and pan from side to side with some of the cameras.
The video footage is picked up through an antenna placed on the roof of the school. The images are then relayed to a command center or a computer in a patrol car.
Although the cameras can't cover every square inch of the school, it would give officers a significant advantage in the event of an emergency, said Larry Borland, executive director of safety and transportation.
"It gives law enforcement a clearer picture in the event of a shooter situation," Borland said. "We may not necessarily be able to locate exactly where a suspect is, but you would definitely be able to tell where a suspect is not."
Although the AgileMesh technology is expensive, most of the infrastructure to implement such a security system is already in place. The district already has about 750 cameras located within its schools, Borland said.
SWAT's AgileMesh technology is one of many security systems the district is currently considering, Borland said. Officials are still looking at issues surrounding cost, and the district is working closely with local law enforcement agencies on how to implement such a system.
Capt. Brad Heydenwith the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said said the receivers would cost about $5,100 per unit, which does not include the cost of installation. Each unit would be placed in patrol cars, command centers and school resource officer's vehicles.
The sheriff's office is looking at other systems that are less expensive but didn't rule out purchasing the technology.
"The biggest drawback is that it's expensive," Heyden said. "I think it's possible (to purchase the units) but there are other technologies out there that are cheaper. This one is one of the nicest I've seen though."
Four law enforcements agencies would need to be trained, including the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Castle Rock Police, Lone Tree Police and Parker Police.
Borland said the budget has already been finished for this year, so he's unsure when the camera technology would be purchased.
"There's still a lot of work to be done before we would deploy such technology to law enforcement," Borland said. "But I think we're all in general agreement that we would like to get there."