You want your students to feel safe in school, right? Then get surveillance cameras! Hello, I’m the chief of Atascadero Police Department. I thank you principals of SLO County for spending your time to see me on the subject of surveillance cameras in schools.Surveillance cameras have been helpful to police to solve crimes,so why not have them in your schools? There were 2.2 million crimes reported in schools during 2005-2006 alone. Imagine how many people would stop and think twice before acting out crimes knowing there is a camera watching them. As a cop, we use cameras in crime hotspots such as neighborhoods, shops, streets, etc, and in the places we put cameras,crime dropped. So imagine how it would help schools. I’ve also seen reports on how your schools have trouble with security, if you had a camera, you could control who comes in and who comes out, keeping the students safe. So, if you want your students to feel safe at your school then get cameras to help with safety, prevention of bad behavior, and security.

There are several excellent reasons that people may not agree with this viewpoint. One reason people may not agree with this viewpoint is that it is an invasion of privacy. Some people don't like the idea of being watched wherever they go, they believe that they will get no privacy. Another reason that people might disagree is they feel like it is a threat to their freedom because they believe that people don't have the right to watch them without permission. Also, the cost for cameras is pretty high with the average cost being $500 per camera. Although these are some excellent reasons, there are more important reasons why we DO need cameras at schools.

First important reason to get cameras is to ensure students safety. One way cameras can ensure student safety, is it can cover more areas at once. With all the cameras recording everywhere at all times, it can solve incidents even if there wasn't any witnesses. Another way cameras can ensure students safety is that cameras can stop kids from bullying. With all the cameras watching, kids won’t bully other kids knowing they will get caught by the cameras. That’s how cameras will ensure students safety.

Second reason you should consider getting cameras is that it helps prevent bad behavior. It helps prevent bad behavior by making students think twice before acting out a crime. If they know they are being watched they are influence to make the smart decision. Cameras are also a valuable tool for petty theft. Cameras have been proven to be effective in deterring crime. So, if you want to prevent bad behavior in your school, get surveillance cameras.

Third, surveillance cameras can also improve security. The way cameras help improve security is by controlling who comes in and out of campus. If the cameras can check who comes in and out, you would be able to check the camera feed in case a kidnapped child incident happened at your school. This will allow you to see the faces of the suspects. Also, if your school is located in a bad area where crimes happen often, it's in your best interest to get a camera to help with lock downs. Surveillance cameras can ensure security at your school.

Surveillance cameras can help drop crime rates. Cameras can help prevent crime. Cameras can help with security. So don’t think of cameras as privacy invaders, but think of them as safety enhancers and crime preventers.Thank you principals of SLO County for meeting with me and I hope you will consider getting surveillance cameras in your schools.