Opinion split on school camera policy

ROCKPORT – A proposed change in school policy that would allow Camden Hills Regional High School administrators to occasionally view surveillance cameras during the school day and review digital images to resolve student behavior problems drew a mixed reaction at a public hearing Wednesday night.

About 20 people attended the hearing at the high school, with seven speaking against the proposed change and five speaking in support of it.

The Five Town Community School District board will consider the policy change at its April 5 meeting.

Presently, the policy prohibits administrators or any other official from watching monitors for the seven cameras. The recorded digital images can be reviewed if, for example, a theft is reported. But under the current policy, any other information gathered from the review – such as evidence of vandalism by a student not connected to the theft – cannot be used.

The new policy would let administrators and police use any evidence found on the recordings. The change was proposed by Principal Nick Ithomitis, who took over at the school in September. He said the new policy would also allow police and fire officials to view the cameras from off-campus locations if there is a crisis like having an armed intruder or chemical spill in the school.

Ithomitis said the last school he worked at had cameras that could be viewed in “real time,” and he believes this is a more effective way to use the equipment.

Parent Helen Shaw of Rockport supported the change. She recently moved to the area from Chicago, she said, and when she began teaching adult ed in the high school, “I was appalled at the lack of security.”

Shaw said students may be getting bullied and are not reporting it out of fear, or personal electronics may be stolen from lockers with students believing they lost the items. A review of cameras could solve both problems, she said.

Parent Sam McKeeman of Camden said the cameras would not prevent problems, but instead erode student morale. He also said what is seen on recordings could be misinterpreted.

“They’re honest and they should be respected,” he said of the majority of students, and estimated that just 2 percent of students would cause problems.

Parent John Blodgett of Rockport noted that the board had struck a compromise when the cameras were installed a few years ago by agreeing to the current policy.

“What has changed?” he asked.

Blodgett also asked if students had been polled about the proposed change.

Student representative to the board Mac McGaw said of the 300 or so who responded to a survey, 129 supported administrators viewing monitors, and 172 opposed it. A similar response was made to the question of letting the school resource officer – a police officer assigned to the school – watch the monitors.

But 203 students supported letting police officers off-campus view the monitors in emergencies, with 97 opposed.