New Surveillance & Audio Recording Systems Can Prevent Crime and Protect Students
The educational system has experienced a great deal of criminal activity on campuses of all sizes. These shocking incidents are damaging to students, faculty, staff, families and the reputation of the educational institution itself. 
Criminal activities are not only limited to colleges and universities but reports can also be found in both private and public K-12 schools.
Surveillance Systems Improve Security on the Educational Campus
National statistics indicate that criminal incidents on campus are decreasing and industry experts attribute this to improved surveillance systems and enforcement. Administrators are discovering that security is not an area for budgetary cuts. Campus-wide security has become mission-critical to an institution’s bottom line as it can deter negative publicity, decreased enrollment and expensive lawsuits.
Video Recording Surveillance
Today, surveillance technology offers increased capabilities at a lower price. These security systems can detect and analyze events as well as alert security to events as they happen. The newest software is truly designed to simplify the surveillance process. For example, IntelliVid form American Dynamics requires just a few clicks to bring video clips, evidence movies, still images and case notes together into one file for investigation management.
Sophisticated video analytics, once available as part of only the highest-end surveillance systems, are now part of every basic software package. Many single security cameras can offer analytic features including the ability to monitor expensive assest and/or detect suspicious items left behind, monitor the length of time a person or group are in a defined area, detect intrusions and identiry specific behaviors, and locate specific faces ina scene and improve the image quality around the face while reducing bit-rate in the remainder of the image.
Surveillance improvements are expected in most educational environments. Today many universities, colleges and even private K-12 schools have begun to tout their surveillance and security capabilities during their recruitment efforts. Parents are more likely to choose a safer, more secure environment for their children.
Audio Recording Surveillance
Audio recording can be very beneficial in the educational world. Hundreds, and often thousands, of phone calls are received daily within various campus departments and K-12 schools. While recording the central switchboard and campus police department are import for security reasons, other departments may have different reasons to record.
In the Student Accounts Office (Bursar’s Office) or main office in a K-12 facility, recording phone calls about financial payments or billing can protect the office from disputes and provide clear-cut evidence in cases of litigation. PCI compliance is also a concern for sensitive authentication data. Beginning in January 2012, any organization that accepts credit card payments by phone must ensure that recordings of those calls are encrypted. (PCI Security Council) (also graphic)
Additional benefits can also be gained with recording-based enhancement options like quality assurance and speech analytics (automated searches for key words or phrases). These technologies now provide very affordable workforce management solutions.
To read more about the benefits of video and audio recording for your surveillance needs, click here or speak with one of our experienced and knowledgeable technical representatives at 800-556-8556.