By Brian Yoffe
Sixty new security cameras are being installed around Newton South as the second phase of a plan proposed to the School Committee in 2010.
“The initial design phase was for about 80 to 100 cameras, but they only had funding for about 20 to 25. This is really just plan B for that initial plan,” South Principal Joel Stembridge said.
The contract was awarded to ENE Systems during July 2012 for more than $100,000, according Carol Chafetz from the grants department at the Education Center.
“Phase 2 went out to bid in June of 2012 and the contract was awarded on July 6, 2012 to ENE Systems. It’s for $112,308 and 60 additional cameras,” Chafetz said.
The installments and wirings were started this fall and are still being completed, Stembridge said.
“It has taken this long to get the bid out and get the company to come and do the work,” Stembridge said.
The money for these new installations came from a portion of the Newton North construction budget and $90,000 from the district budget. A two-year grant from the Department of Justice in 2010 matched all of the district’s spending on security.
“The Department of Justice grant provided matching funds of $251,500 for a total of $503,000 spent on security upgrades,” said Elaine Sterzin, also from the grants department.
Newton North was involved in the proposition to the School Committee in 2010 as well. During the reconstruction of North in September 2010, however, hundreds of cameras were installed throughout the school.
“This latest installation brings us up to par with where North is,” Stembridge explained.
The protocol for using the new security cameras has not changed since they were set by the School Committee in 2010. According to South housemaster Charles Myette, the footage must be observed by two administrators, which include the housemasters, vice-principals, and principal, after criminal activity such as “theft or assault” has occurred.
The camera footage is also reviewed if there is a case of vandalism or an intruder enters the building, Myette said.
“This building is wide open in the evenings and sometimes on the weekends,” Stembridge said. “There have been times when outsiders have been here and things happened where we had to use the cameras.”
The rise in reported thefts at South over the past few years played a large role in the installation of these new cameras.
“The cameras were mainly installed due to a lot of theft going on in unsupervised areas like the boys and girls locker rooms and the field house area,” Myette, who has worked closely with the contractor of the new cameras, said.
The heightened security measures have deterred crime thus far. Following the initial installation of cameras, South has seen a decrease in reported thefts and other criminal activities, Myette said.
““There have definitely been incidents resolved because of the security cameras,” he said. “It has worked in being a deterrent. People are aware of the cameras and they may think a little more.”
Stembridge agreed that the cameras have increased South’s safety and resolved reported events. He recalled some non-criminal events that the cameras aided investigation of, including the accidental destruction of one of the auditorium windows.
“One of the glass windows out in the auditorium shattered,” Stembridge said. “We were able to use the cameras to determine that it actually wasn’t someone goofing around. Without realizing, someone thought the window was a door and ran forehead first into it and shattered it.”
Despite the cameras’ success over the years, their installation has been a controversial topic since the plan was proposed in 2010. Some students said they are skeptical of the cameras.
“It seems like every inch of the hallways is covered,” freshman Emma Henderson said. “It shows how they don’t trust us very much. They should definitely have made the students more aware of the cameras.”
Henderson said she believes that the thousands of dollars spent on the cameras could have been used for more educational purposes.
“I just don’t necessarily think that the cameras help our education,” Henderson said. “Instead of spending hundreds of dollars [on cameras], they could buy new textbooks, new learning supplies, or teaching training.”
Other students said they support the increase in security and think it will contribute positively to their safety in school.
“People will be less inclined to break school rules and I think this will positively affect the student body,” senior Zach Eagle said. “Merely the presence of [cameras] is enough to make people think twice and watch their step. Student safety is a high priority for the city and deserves to have its share of the city’s budget.”
The administration said, however, that the cameras cannot prevent all crime that takes place in or around the school.
“Nothing’s foolproof,” Myette said. “If there is a sophisticated mind and someone wants to take something they’re going to come up with a plan. The cameras aren’t an end-all. The best thing to prevent things from happening is a connection between adults and students.”
The new cameras are expected to be working by the end of February.
