Three campuses in the Conway School District are monitored by video surveillance systems and according to school administrators, the results of the close observation are obvious.
Both the east and west campuses of Conway High School are equipped with a video surveillance system and there is also a system keeping an eye on the students of Carl Stuart Middle School.
"The fact of the matter is that if kids know they're on video, they are going to act differently," Dr. Greg Murry, Conway superintendent, said Friday.
Murry said the surveillance on the three local campuses is no secret to the students, either. He said the students know their actions are being recorded.
"They can see the little domes in the halls, and they can see them outside as well and kids tell each other what's going on, so they're well aware of it," Murry said.
In an informative meeting concerning the district's budget Thursday night, Murry told a group of school board members and directors about a surplus of about $1 million in the school building fund. One of the spending options, he told them, could be to expand the video surveillance presence on more campuses, starting with the older students.
"We'd hope that it would provide a safer environment for our kids," Murry said. "And we hope also if there were incidents the video camera would be helpful when it comes to arriving at the truth of the situation."
According to Jan Armstrong, a counselor at Conway High School-East, the school's video surveillance system has been instrumental in determining the reality of incidents among students.
"I think it has been good for our assistant principals because sometimes if there is a fight or an issue of 'he said, she said' they can go back and look at footage from the courtyard," Armstrong said. "So it allows you to find out those things to where it's not just based on students' differing statements."
Harvey Benton, Carl Stuart principal, said he has seen both a positive and a negative side to the surveillance system on his campus, particularly because of the weaknesses of the technology. He said he thinks the Carl Stuart system is more than eight years old.
"In other places, there are video systems where you can punch a time in and go directly to the incident you are looking for, but with our older system, you have to push forward and rewind until you find what you need," Benton said.
However, he said although he would like to see the system on his campus updated, he is very thankful it is there.
"Over the years, it has worked out great," Benton said. "We have solved some crimes here, we've been able to take things out of lockers and we've had witnesses for fights in the hallway."
Not only do these video cameras catch students' negative behavior while it is happening, Benton said they are also responsible for deterring incidents.
"A lot of the students think they're just play cameras, but sometimes we can pull them aside and show them it's a real working camera and it changes their mind on things a little," Benton said.
As far as the concerns of the students' privacy, both Murry and Benton said it is not an issue with the three current systems because the cameras only monitor public, heavily traveled areas, like parking lots, hallways and outdoor areas.
"We don't have them in restrooms or anything like that we're not going to go that far," Murry said. "They are just in the general areas where all the kids are stirring around."
(Staff writer Jessica Bauer can be reached by e-mail at jessica.bauer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
