Use of Security Cameras, Policy No. 372

Printable PDF Board Policy 372

Policy Statement:

1.      Security cameras may be installed in situations and places where the security of either property or people would be enhanced.

2.      When appropriate, cameras may be placed throughout the technology center, inside and outside of technology center buildings or vehicles.

a)      Cameras will be used in a manner consistent with all existing technology center policies; and

b)     Camera use will be limited to situations that do not violate the reasonable expectation of privacy as defined by law. Generally, an individual has no reasonable expectation of privacy in public places or common areas, including, but not limited to:

• Classrooms
• Offices
• Hallways
• Parking lots
• Cafeterias
• technology center-owned or leased transportation

Policy Purpose:

1.      The purpose of this policy is to regulate the use of security cameras.

2.      The function of security cameras is to assist in protecting the safety and property of the technology center.

3.      The primary use of security cameras will be to record images for future identification of individuals involved in criminal activities.

Policy Requirements:

1.      The Superintendent or designee are designated be involved with, or have access to, technology center security camera data.

2.      When an incident is suspected to have occurred, the individual designated under paragraph 1 of this section may review the images from the security camera data.

3.      No video data may be copied, e-mailed, downloaded or otherwise distributed without prior authorization.

4.      An automated log will be maintained documenting access of authorized users to the data stored in the technology center’s video security system.

5.      The installation of new security cameras must be approved in advance by Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent may authorize the use of security cameras when he/she deems the use in the best interest of the technology center.

a)      Once approved, new security cameras, except in limited instances approved by the Superintendent, must connect to the technology center’s centralized security system which will be maintained by the IT Services department and the Facilities Services department.

6.      No employee, student, staff, administrator, media or member of the public is allowed to install or conceal camera devices in or around technology center property, except as provided by authorized district staff above.

7.      Any person acting to remove, alter, bypass, disconnect or otherwise affect the operation of any camera or monitor installed in, or around, technology center property or vehicles without the express prior approval of the Superintendent or designee, or who violates this policy, will be subject to disciplinary or other adverse action including, but not limited to, removal from technology center property and prosecution.

School Buses and Technology Center Vehicles:

In furtherance of the technology center’s school bus safety program, the technology center may install and operate a video-monitoring system in or on its school buses or bus stop- arms, or contract with a private vendor to do so on behalf of the technology center for the purpose of recording a violation of the following statutory requirement:

The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking a school bus that is stopped to take on or discharge school children, and on which the red loading signals are in operation, is to stop the vehicle before it reaches the school bus and not proceed until the loading signals are deactivated and then proceed past such school bus at a speed which is reasonable and with due caution for the safety of such school children and other occupants. (47 O.S. §11-705)

In the event the video-monitoring system captures a recording of a violation, appropriate personnel at the technology center shall extract data related to the violation from the recording. The extracted data shall include a recorded image or video of the license plate of the

vehicle, an identifiable picture of the driver's face, the activation status of at least one warning device and the time, date and location of the vehicle when the image was recorded.

For the purposes of this policy, "video-monitoring system" means a system with one or more camera sensors and computers installed and operated on a school bus that produces live digital and recorded video of motor vehicles being operated in violation of subsection A of this section.

The technology center shall submit the extracted data for review to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in which the violation occurred. If the reviewing law enforcement agency determines there is sufficient evidence to identify the vehicle and the driver, such evidence shall be submitted to the technology center attorney's office for prosecution.

This policy also provides for the use of security cameras on technology center buses or technology center vehicles for disciplinary and security purposes. This policy will support efforts to maintain discipline and to ensure the safety and security of all students, staff, contractors and others being transported on technology center-owned, operated, or contracted buses or vehicles.

School bus means a motor vehicle that is designed to carry eleven (11) passengers or more, including the driver, and is used for the transportation of technology center students to or from other schools or events related to such schools or school-related activities.

The use of security cameras shall not place a duty on the technology center to regularly monitor live camera images and/or video or audio recordings, and it shall not place on the technology center any additional duty in regard to providing a safe facility.

A security camera will not necessarily be installed in each and every vehicle owned, leased, contracted and/or operated by the technology center, but cameras may be rotated from vehicle to vehicle without prior notice.

Notification Requirements:

Except in emergency or investigative situations, all locations with security cameras will have signs displayed that provide reasonable notification of the presence of security cameras.

Notification signs shall be placed in conspicuous areas in close proximity to the security cameras. For buildings with interior cameras, this shall include, at a minimum, the placement of signs at all primary building entrances. All such signs shall contain a notification that the cameras may or may not be monitored.

Students will also receive additional notification at the beginning of the school year regarding the use of security cameras in the schools, on technology center vehicles and school grounds.

Related Policy Information:

1.      Security cameras will not record or monitor sound;

2.      Recorded security camera data must be retained for a period of at least 14 days unless retained as part of a criminal or civil investigation, court procedure, or other bona fide use;

3.      Security camera data is not considered to be Directory Information and may be subject to confidentiality restrictions including, but not limited to, FERPA requirements.

a)      Requests to release information obtained through security cameras must be submitted to the Superintendent and be approved prior to release

Exclusions:

1.      Cameras installed or utilized for criminal and civil investigations are subject to appropriate state and federal laws and are excluded from this policy;

2.      Cameras used for instructional purposes are excluded from this policy; and

3.      Cameras used for internal personal investigations are excluded from this policy.

Definitions:

Security Camera: Any item, system, camera, technology device, communications device, or process, used alone or in conjunction with a network, for the purpose of gathering, monitoring, recording, or storing an image or images of technology center facilities and/or people in technology center facilities. Such devices may include but are not limited to: analog and digital security cameras, close circuit television, web cameras, and computerized visual monitoring.

Security Camera Data: Images captured by security cameras, which may be real-time or preserved for review at a later date.

Centralized Security System: Core infrastructure maintained by the district for purposes of storing and retrieving images from all security cameras deployed across the technology center. Infrastructure could include storage resources, such as disk drive arrays, as well as dedicated servers. Servers could perform activities such as storing images for later retrieval, retrieving images for investigation purposes, and maintaining logs of all access to stored security camera data.

Responsibilities:

Role

IT Services: Maintains infrastructure for the technology center’s main security camera infrastructure, including storage space, server systems, and backup resources (as appropriate).

Reference: OKLA STAT. tit. 47 §11-705