INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS: TOP STORY Saving Face WRITTEN BY MICHELLE FISHER
school bus operations are turning to this same technology for self-protection. Wheth- er or not dangers aboard the school bus have increased, student transporters agree there is a heightened vigilance for safety — and cameras mean more accountability. “Te tape does not tell a lie,” said Jimmy
T
Sprague, transportation supervisor of DeKalb County (Tenn.) Public Schools, who has used REI video systems for nearly seven years. “My drivers know the cameras are up there not only to protect the children, but also them. It protects my driver if a student claims his bus driver cussed or threatened him.” Sprague said the three-camera system
protects the school district from liability as well. Last year, a student fell and twist- ed her ankle after exiting the bus. But once Sprague shared video that proved the accident occurred off the vehicle, the district was off the hook.
ransit buses were the first to utilize onboard video surveillance cameras for monitoring purposes, and now a rising number of
Another time, he pulled video of a mother threatening a bus driver and aide on a special-education route, and it was used in court to prosecute her for trespassing. To access specific footage, Sprague said he simply downloads the file on a flash drive or sends it via email to an authorized school administrator. Rick Haskins, transportation supervisor
at Otsego Local School District in Ohio, has used the AngelTrax onboard video system for four years. He stressed that the cameras’ presence affects both student and driver behavior on the bus. When student misbehavior requires disciplinary action, he said administrators view the video and talk with parents, but do not permit them to see it because of privacy issues. Footage on a specific incident is archived, while the rest is erased when cameras “roll over” about every two weeks, he explained. “I am in charge of footage, so I can make
a copy of the video and send it to the prin- cipal,” Haskins said. “Obviously it makes things much better for us when there are issues (and) we can say, ‘I have it on video’.”
VIDEO SHARING OVER WI-FI Carlos Chicas, transportation director at
Stockton (Calif.) Unified School District, said video surveillance cameras help to protect the 6,500 at-risk students trans- ported each day. In just one week, Chicas had to investigate two “severe” fights on the school bus. “We’re pulling video on a weekly, some- times daily, basis because we’re dealing with very challenging student behavior. With video, we have some real evidence when revoking riding privileges or (imposing) suspensions,” he noted. Chicas said the wireless integration on
Seon’s system makes it easier to download video from the buses’ digital video recorders. Access points are set up strategically in the bus yard, so he can retrieve footage as soon as the bus returns. “Once a student is captured on video, we
consider it a student record and it’s confi- dential. As the administrator, I set up users who have access to the wireless downloads. Te superintendent has access, but it’s pretty restricted to transportation department administration,” he shared. Te California Highway Patrol also has the authority to request footage, but the department has a strict policy about not sharing video with parents because of legal implications. In rare cases when parents are adamant about seeing the video, he utilizes the system’s blurring feature to hide other students’ faces. “Tose other kids’ privacy has to be
respected,” Chicas went on. “It’s compelling because the technology has improved so much over the years that it really is a tool for deterring behavior and also enforcing rules after they have been broken. It’s all about passenger safety.” David Anderson, transportation director
at Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Tornton, Colo., also considers video surveillance a vital tool for student safety and security. He has used 247Security’s system on his 150 buses for about five years. “Our wireless system is pretty simple. We
£ Two transportation department employees at Stockton Unified School District in northern California review footage from a Seon video surveillance system on one of their buses.
14 School Transportation News November 2013
have antennas up on the roof of our facility. As vehicles come into the yard, it picks up the signal so you can start downloading instanta-
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS SAY THE LATEST VIDEO SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY IS EASY TO USE — AND ESSENTIAL FOR PROTECTION
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