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Security cameras are extremely popular on college campuses; Campus Safety Magazine notes that 93% of US colleges use security cameras.
However, Carroll is a little behind the curve.
According to Jason Grimmis, Director of Campus Security and Public Safety, we have 10 cameras on campus, not all of which are for physical security (some are webcams looking at the weather or other things). There are two or three cameras in the Cube, a mobile camera that the security team can set up, and several others that are protecting cyber assets.
Security cameras can deter crime, aid law enforcement, and improve overall campus security. The cameras and the signs that accompany them are a visible depiction of campus security at work.
“I think we should have cameras near exits and entrances of residential buildings, so we don’t intrude on people’s privacy but there’s a heightened level of security,” said Nicole Williams, a senior English writing major from Seeley Lake, Montana.
Beyond the benefits for current students, according to Best Colleges, 60% of high school seniors say that campus security was a factor when selecting a college. Most prospective students do not research Carroll’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report, but many tours the school. Security cameras would make it clear to prospective students on campus that security is a priority.
“I absolutely believe in the cameras. They are a deterrent and an investigatory tool,” Grimmis said.
It’s not so simple. Security cameras are very expensive.
Grimmis noted that after getting quotes from several companies, it would cost around $400,000 to $500,000 for installation, updates, and maintenance. Furthermore, the cost doesn’t end at the installation. The upkeep of security cameras can be similarly pricey.
These prices would accompany a phased approach. Phase one would focus on putting cameras in residential parking lots and entryways, phase two would include common areas and highly trafficked areas, and phase three would install cameras in dorm hallways. Phase three would require further discussion of campus culture and whether students would want cameras in their dorm hallways.
While expensive, it does not have to be cost-prohibitive.
The college can seek out grants, donors could give money specifically for security cameras, or the college could seek out money elsewhere.
But the change likely will not come from the top.
Many students at Carroll are passionate about campus security. Making it clear that security cameras are important to students is the only way to make it happen.
It starts by targeting specific areas. If students would feel safer with cameras in the parking lots, they should make that clear to the administration. Many students have different opinions on where security cameras are needed; it largely depends on where they spend their time.
For example, Catherine Dudley, a freshman environmental science major from Pendleton, Indiana, who lives in Guad, thinks cameras would be a useful tool in limiting inappropriate behavior.
“As a freshman, I would appreciate more accountability for those who harm the community through their irresponsible actions like being disruptive and destructive in Guad,” Dudley said.
Despite differences in opinion on where and why cameras are needed, there is little disagreement that they would improve campus safety.
Security cameras make students feel safer, deter crime, and help solve it. However, with their steep pricing, it will take a joint effort from an administration that is willing to invest in campus security and students who campaign to make it happen.
“It takes more than one man to move a mountain,” Grimmis said. “Moving the mountain needs more people on board who want cameras and are willing to make it a priority.”
