Since implementing a 24-hour security camera system, La Jolla High School has had a positive response, according to school administration and foundation members.
The camera system, an $80,000 project funded by the Foundation of La Jolla High School, was up and running in September, with 27 cameras located both inside and outside the building, according to Rocky Booth, a foundation member in charge of installing and monitoring the equipment.
“La Jolla High School is one of a few high schools in San Diego that has a truly open campus,” Booth said. “It has a dozen entrances and exits, and the campus is not closed off during weekends, at night or over vacation. When I check the cameras, I always see people walking dogs through the property or people using the sports fields to play ball ” it could be a tempting target if someone wanted to do vandalism.”
Booth, as well as Principal Dana Shelburne, reported that the school has had very few vandalism issues this year but in the past has sustained a few broken windows and had school property stolen.
“Last year, when our other cameras were down, the school was robbed on three or four occasions, and we lost expensive equipment,” Shelburne said. “That inspired us to get back to the idea of going to a new, state-of-the-art system that would be more effective rather than trying to upgrade the system we had.”
The new security system is directly connected to the San Diego City School District’s police, allowing them to monitor any activity that goes on when school is not in session, Booth said.
On top of deterring vandalism, Shelburne said the administration also uses the cameras to track student behavior, such as drug use, fights, internal theft and littering.
Camera footage can be monitored by school officials throughout the day, and specific times and places on the films can be pinpointed if there is a question about student involvement, Shelburne said.
“‘Most everyone sees the camera system as a good preventative device, and we’ve had a very positive response,” the principal said. “The cameras were privately funded through the foundation, but public dollars ought to be used to do this at every school. The system is a good deterrent, and when push comes to shove, it’s a very handy tool.”