40 cameras to watch over Mundelein High School
Approximately 40 video cameras will keep watch over Mundelein High School as part of a new security system being added to the campus.
The cameras will monitor activities in hallways, at building entrances and in the parking lots, said Steve Chowanski, the school's technology director.
"We will also place cameras in public areas of the building that are hard to see due to the multilevel design of the building," Chowanski said.
More private areas, such as bathrooms, will not be equipped with surveillance gear, officials said.
The cameras, 15 of which already are in place, are part of a computerized network. They're replacing an older closed-circuit system that should be phased out by Jan. 1, according to a school board memo.
The system allows administrators and security staffers to view live and recorded video going back two weeks. The video images will only be stored for two weeks and will be erased as new video is recorded, Chowanski said during a school board discussion this week.
Some of the cameras will have a single view, while others can be moved to observe action as it occurs, he said.
They'll give officials more video coverage than the old system, he said.
School officials will work with the Mundelein Police Department to determine where the cameras should be placed. At this week's meeting, school officials discussed how to give police access to the system in an emergency.
National studies have shown the use of video surveillance is rising at high schools and elementary and middle schools across the country.
Antioch Community, Warren Township, Vernon Hills, Libertyville and Round Lake high schools are among the Lake County campuses using such gear.
National privacy advocates have said cameras provide a security benefit, but they've urged administrators to destroy images daily to prevent abuse.
Mundelein High School board Vice President Vicky Kennedy said she weighed potential privacy concerns against the potential safety benefits before endorsing the camera plan.
Storing the videos for two weeks is necessary, she said, because some issues can't be resolved in a day.
"I think that is a good amount of time to determine if you actually need (to review a video) or not," Kennedy said.