Wednesday, May 2, 2007

New LLHS security cameras helped in several incidents

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas Several weeks ago, a Los Lunas High School student reported that someone had riffled through her backpack and took several of her personal belongings.

The student's items were recovered and the people responsible for the crime were identified thanks to new security cameras recently installed at the campus. While the technology is not new to schools across the country, it's a first for Los Lunas High School.

The security cameras were strategically placed in numerous areas around the campus about six weeks ago, and school officials have found that the investment is paying off. Desi Garcia, director of safety and security for the school district, said the cameras monitor activity on and off campus and give school officials a tool for solving and preventing crime.

The state-of-the-art security comes at a price of almost $18,000, but it's a small price to pay for keeping the campus safe, Garcia said.

"The school district has really tried to bring new technology into the schools, and we installed an alarm system right after the break-in occurred last summer," Garcia said. "Cameras are utilized everyday to deter crime. The big thing is prevention — we want students to know that they're being monitored for their safety."

The cameras, which monitor the school grounds 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are not only placed inside hallways and in the cafeteria, but in the courtyard, in the front and back of the school as well as other key areas of the campus. Garcia said he hopes that the district will install more security cameras throughout the district in the near future.

"We strategically placed cameras in places where someone enters campus, they're captured and (security officers) can pan and zoom," Garcia said. "Some are stationary and others can move around to get a better look around the campus."

In the six weeks that the cameras have been rolling, security personnel have been able to identify numerous individuals involved in criminal activity in and around campus. Garcia said with the help of the cameras, they've also been able to assist the Los Lunas Police in their investigation of a recent theft of construction equipment at the football field.

"Two weeks ago, we found that someone had vandalized and broken 19 glass blocks behind the school," Garcia said. "We were able to identify the offenders through the video. They were elementary school students, and we've already made arrangements with the parents to make restitution for the damage."

Another incident that the cameras helped school officials resolve involved a possible unauthorized visitor on campus. According to Garcia, a female student had reported that she thought she was being stalked by an unknown adult and felt that he was following her to school.

Garcia said a friend of the student came to him the next day to report that a man had approached her inquiring about the girl. After replaying the video of the area where the friend said she talked to the man, Garcia was able to determine that the incident hadn't happened.

On Monday, Garcia said, a student was seen getting into a parked car and staying there during class. He was later found to have a knife in the vehicle and he said he'd been ditching.

"The presence of cameras have also helped us recover stolen property, we've identified at least three drug transactions, and many other suspicious activities," Garcia said. "And the very first day that we installed the camera system, my car was keyed. We were able to go back and identify who the offender was and the student's parents have made restitution."

One of the most concerning situations one of the cameras was able to capture was an unknown student "car surfing" in back of the school. Garcia said he couldn't identify the student because his back was toward the camera.

Garcia said students and faculty have reacted positively to the new security measures since they were installed. He said he believes that not only have the cameras prevented crimes from occurring, but have made students and staff feel all that much safer on campus.

"We aren't doing this not to catch crime, but to prevent crime," Garcia said. "The biggest reason for these cameras is to provide a safe place for these kids to come to school. There's a sense of safety for both students and staff."

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