Stonehill College Arms Campus with Security Cameras for Increased Safety

Opt for quality vendors

The key to Stonehill College’s successful use of security cameras – which are up to 55 across the campus – was working with a quality consultant and quality vendors.

Carnes recommends that college police departments select a vendor they’ll have access to around the clock.

Tapping a consultant who has years of experience implementing security cameras as part of a comprehensive campus safety strategy is essential, he says.

A skilled consultant will know what kind of lighting to consider and whether a certain technology is going to work at night, for example.

An Arecont Vision security camera located in a Stonehill College parking lot.

“Criminals are looking for security cameras,” says Carnes, who has been involved in police work for 44 years. “When criminals get caught, they talk about how they got caught. They also talk about going to the point of least resistance.”

Maximize resources

Investing in technologies like security cameras allows colleges to stretch their security budgets, says Bill Clements, project/technical manager at VISCOM Systems, Inc.

Plus, resources like cameras enable colleges to take advantage of a full work force of technologies that will keep their campuses safe.

“Colleges are paying a security guard $60,000 a year, and they’re counting on them being on time and alert and awake,” Clements says. “Colleges are deploying security cameras to cut back [on expenditures].”

Consider lighting

Many outdoor areas need security cameras that can provide good sensitivity, good color, and point-tilt-zoom (PTZ) capabilities, says Allen Chan, senior product manager at Sony USA.

Harsh lighting outside can be a problem, especially when a campus building has a glass lobby and security is trying to see who’s coming in or out of the building.

For these types of situations, Chan recommends that colleges look into a wide dynamic range security camera that enables a clear video feed to the security personnel viewing the footage.