There is no doubting that college campuses pose security challenges. College campuses have many facilities and buildings throughout the property. With courtyards, dormitories, sports complexes, cafeterias and libraries, there is much to cover. Well designed and implemented campus security cameras can go a long way in ensuring the safety of faculty, visitors, students, and facilities on campus. We look into why its a good thing to have Security Camera Systems for Campus.

University CCTV System Benefits

Secure facilities – With large amounts and various buildings on a college campus, each one the buildings will have its own security needs. Campus surveillance cameras help to secure the facilities, as they monitor and watch for suspicious people, behavior and unauthorized access.

Student Protection – A college campus can be difficult to navigate and students often have to walk long distances when going from class to class. Walking the campus especially at night leaves a lot of students uncomfortable.CCTV cameras offer an invaluable tool, allowing college students to roam the campus under the safe watch of campus surveillance cameras.

Deter Criminals – Working as a visible deterrent, campus security cameras stop potential criminals from committing a crime, theft, and break-in.

Vandalism – Campus security cameras help to curb vandalism on school property.

Parking lots – Parking lot security cameras can deter and prevent criminal activity as well as theft in parking lots. It also helps to protect students and staff that have to walk to their cars at all hours.

Investigation Help – Having surveillance video footage stored digitally on hard drives helps to identify individuals who have committed crimes, thefts or have breached school policies.

University policies – College campuses are like mini cities. Besides having to follow state and county laws, students also have to adhere to school policies. Security cameras can help monitor all campus activity, working to ensure that university policies are properly followed.

Ease of installation – Digital video cameras and systems allow for easy installation and deployment. With options such as Wi-Fi transmission available, many campuses can easily install cameras without the need to trench, destroy campus grounds to lay down a wire.

Remote Access – All digital video camera system today offer full remote access to the cameras over a local network or over the internet. This means that your campuses can be monitored and viewed from anywhere on campus or the world. Security guards and administration can access college security cameras from any PC, Mac, iPhone or Android device at any time. This is especially useful to security staff that no longer has to be in one room monitoring the entire campus.

College CCTV System Potential Problems

There are certain risks and problems one should consider when installing campus security cameras throughout the college or university.

Vandalism of Cameras – Whenever you have visible security cameras, they can be a target for tampering and vandalism. Anytime you have a damaged camera you run the risk of having lapses in your recording.

Privacy Concerns – Surveillance cameras should always only record in those public areas on the facilities and campus grounds. All areas considered private areas such as faculty break rooms, dorm rooms, and bathrooms are considered highly inappropriate for CCTV camera installation.

False sense of security – Surveillance cameras will not stop a crime that is happening or taking place. Surveillance video is very effective at heightening campus safety, but it’s important to have security staff and law enforcement patrolling the campus grounds as an additional security measure.

Campus Security Camera Configurations

As mentioned previously, a college campus is like a mini city and like a small city providing proper video surveillance for a small city can be difficult. With so many different types of buildings, facilities, and settings that need continuous monitoring it can prove daunting. Taking into consideration the safety of faculty, students, and school property you should consider the following factors when installing a campus surveillance system:

• Have acts of violence occurred on campus?
• Do you consider vandalism a concern?
• Have you had school property damage in the past?
• How is your campus lighting? Is the campus properly lit at night?
• Are there trouble spots on campus that typically need to be monitored more than others?
• Have you experienced burglaries on campus?
• Have parking lots had instances of crime and theft?
• What security systems do you have in place currently?
• Are you short staffed with security personnel?
• When school is out of session is there adequate security in place ?

CCTV Surveillance Best Practices for College and University Campuses

• Install security cameras near all exits and entrances to school buildings.
• Parking lots should have surveillance cameras installed.
• Install cameras in those areas that most often have less traffic and are poorly lit. Those areas that faculty and students might find themselves defenseless and alone.
• Install cameras in those areas where money is transferred such as cashier offices, campus stores cafeterias, and other areas where money is exchanged.
• Sporting events have large crowds and should have proper video surveillance cameras installed.
• Lobbies and hallways and stairways should have cameras monitoring them.
• Residence halls should have cameras installed for enhanced security.
• Courtyards and outdoor seating areas should have cameras installed.