New security camera policy updates campus safety

The Department of Public Safety and Campus Information Technology and Educational Services (CITES) are teaming up for the next step in campus safety: an updated security camera system.

University Chief of Police Barbara O'Connor said the updated system will provide increased accuracy, as well as an immediate investigation tool for police. Hopefully, the system will decrease campus violence and aid in alerting students, she added.

O'Connor said the new system will be computer-based and centralize camera control.

"They're becoming a new standard in campus safety," O'Connor said.

She said the last university she worked at, the University of Massachusetts, started a pilot security camera program. Between 2001-2006, there was a noticeable decrease in crime.

The new camera system should be running before this winter break but still needs to go through more approvals, said Mike Corn, University chief privacy security officer.

Carey Ash, vice president internal of the Illinois Student Senate (ISS), said the senate is currently reviewing the policy.

Pairing cameras with a computer-based system will allow for more complex monitoring of campus areas, such as the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). She said the building has an extensive camera system used to prevent theft. The cameras have been used to identify individuals who have stolen student property. She also said the cameras will be able to provide detailed information about suspects through digital photos. These photos, she said, could be paired with e-mail to ease suspect identification.

The combination of the Public Safety Department and CITES will be very useful, said Tracy Smith, manager of network services for CITES.

"Public Safety knows where the issues are located," Smith said. "And can advise us on where to put the cameras."

Smith said the University police need full access to surveillance information, and this new system will make that more readily available.

Smith added that CITES could provide that access by requesting permissions from each department.

"I'm a big believer in using technology to better students' lives," O'Connor said.

Ash said he hopes the cameras will bring about a more secure campus.

"Unfortunate circumstances happen very close to home," Ash said, "And we want to make home as safe as can be."

O'Connor said the new system will not infringe on student privacy. She added that with the current system, there is no standard for privacy. As of now, there are security camera systems on campus that O'Connor said her staff does not know about. These systems are currently operating under their own standards. This delays solving crimes on campus because police have to request footage.

According to the Security Camera Policy issued by Marc Snir, professor of library information science, the camera system located in the Department of Computer Science is to record activity in areas that are at risk for or have reported instances of theft. The policy states the footage will be provided to University police upon request.

With the new system, O'Connor said, all camera systems on campus will be accessible to campus police. She said these systems will be used strictly for security reasons. O'Connor added that the new system will not blanket campus with cameras, but instead disperse cameras in high crime areas. She said the cameras are designed to address student issues.

"This is a policy for safety enhancement with respect to privacy," O'Connor said.