Crime on college campuses is a worldwide issue, impacting the safety of students, faculty, and visitors. These crimes can range from theft and vandalism to more serious incidents including assault, sexual harassment, and hate crimes.
Educational institutes should be places where people feel safe – and can learn in a controlled environment.
The repercussions of campus crimes go beyond physical harm or property damage. If unmitigated, crime contributes to a general sense of fear and anxiety, which can hinder academic performance – and more importantly – the overall student experience.
Video surveillance systems play a huge role in prevention and response strategies – which are integral to the success of any educational institution. College campus crime statistics from the Department of Education show that on-campus crime rates are seeing a decline, which is likely owing to the sophistication of surveillance technology.
In this post, we’re going to discuss the major benefits of investing in a robust video camera system for campus security.
They Deter Crime
For starters, the mere presence of video surveillance systems can do a lot to discourage crime on college campuses.
Naturally, the presence of cameras creates a heightened sense of risk for potential offenders – given there is a perceived likelihood of detection – which leads to prosecution. Essentially, the risk of getting caught outweighs the potential benefit of committing the crime. This is why some people/organizations implement dummy cameras in the area they want to protect.
But the benefits of video surveillance systems go far beyond visual effects.
Fast Responses video surveillance system provider
Arguably the biggest benefit of today’s video surveillance system provider is response time capability. These systems allow the security team to pinpoint the exact location of an incident and respond promptly to manage the issue.
A can program the system to alert security personnel if an incident occurs – so proper action can be taken. For instance, if a building on campus is open during certain hours, the system can be set up to send alerts if it detects movement outside of that timeframe, indicating there may be an intruder or a potential crime committed.
Another common benefit is emergency situations, like a fire.
Certain cameras are designed to pick up smoke signals and send an alert, which helps the educational institute guide the evacuation process with real-time information on the situation. From here, the authorities will have the exact location of the fire and can take proper measures to eliminate the danger.
Smarter Resource Management
Budgeting is often the primary issue standing in the way of campuses implementing video surveillance systems. What many decision makers do not realize is the long-term cost-effectiveness of adding a robust setup.
Video surveillance systems put educational institutes in a better position to manage security resources. For one, hiring security personnel is very expensive. With a video surveillance system, campuses can optimize the deployment of personnel to boost the overall efficiency of security operations.
Here’s how it works:
Real-time monitoring can identify certain areas that need immediate attention or a higher in-person security presence. This allows campuses to allocate personnel where they are most needed, rather than having to patrol random areas – which requires more people (and a higher budget).
Furthermore, the recorded footage can be used for training purposes, policy development, and continuous optimization of security measures.
In essence, a robust video surveillance system supports a more strategic, data-based approach to security management – which works to reduce overhead in the long run.
Improved Monitoring
Contemporary video surveillance systems provide real-time coverage of areas within a campus. Human security personnel cannot be everywhere at once – but video cameras CAN. Video systems are built to simultaneously monitor a myriad of areas, which can include less-frequented, hidden, or remote locations. And the best part is these systems function 24/7.
Moreover, in-person security personnel may be limited by physical constraints and subjectivity – which can potentially cause issues in a larger investigation.
The continuous monitoring capabilities of these systems contribute to a more comprehensive security infrastructure, which leads to a safer campus environment.
Evidence Collection & Analysis
Video surveillance systems play a huge role in evidence collection and analysis of crimes on campus.
If an incident occurs, the recorded footage can provide key details, including the appearance of the offender, the sequence of events, the time of occurrence, and other relevant factors. This information can be used in police investigations and judicial proceedings (if applicable).
Moreover, this surveillance data can be analyzed to detect patterns or trends in crime on campuses. For instance, the data will paint a picture of the most frequently targeted locations or the most common times when incidents occur.
The analysis and conclusions made from this data help educational institutes implement proactive security measures, which contributes to more effective crime prevention strategies on campus.
Wrap Up
Video surveillance systems are becoming the status quo for many campuses across the country – and for good reason. There has been a lot of innovation in this field over the past decade. The results are showing a decline in crime on college campuses – and smarter resource management for educational institutions.
Better security means more students and faculty will want to attend the educational institute. Video surveillance systems play a large role in this.
Hopefully, this post has provided a clear picture of why video surveillance is crucial on campuses – and why the investment will be worth every penny in the long run.
Author Bio:
Brian Kozlosky, President/Founder of 2 Krew Security and Surveillance – headquartered in Kittanning, PA. With a Bachelor of Science from Slippery Rock University, I have 15+ years of experience operating a successful security and surveillance company. You can get in touch with me on LinkedIn.