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CCTV In Universities Safety, Advantages, Disadvantages

With crime rates on the rise, it is no surprise that educational institutions such as universities are also being targeted.

Criminal activity in universities includes theft, vandalism, trespassing, graffiti, malicious damage, arson, protests, loitering, drug dealing and abuse, terrorism, possession of offensive weapons, and threats from former students.

This is not an exhaustive list and considering that many universities in the UK are sprawled across a huge area with thousands of people on campus, there is no doubt that safety and security is surely an issue, especially if preventive measures are not adopted.

Safety and security in universities are paramount especially considering that, for many young people, going to university is their first experience living away from home and on their own.

Also, it is safe to assume that they don’t really give much thought to their safety and security, and not many people will securely lock away their laptops, tablets, and other valuable possessions or securely lock their doors and windows.

Therefore, it is upon the university management to provide a safe space for all people on campus and train them on the best practices to keep themselves, their possessions, and the university campus safe from all kinds of threats.

But what can be done to deter crime and keep that many people safe?

A well-designed CCTV system is one of the best security measures proven to be effective against deterring crime and providing a healthy and safe environment for everyone inside the university.

Read on to learn about the many advantages of CCTV in universities, the disadvantages of using them, and how they can add to the safety and security of everyone on campus:

ADVANTAGES OF CCTV IN UNIVERSITIES

CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) cameras are a popular security measure adopted by millions around the world to reduce crime and ensure accountability.

Here are all the reasons why CCTV cameras should be installed in universities:

Deterring theft of campus property

Universities offer a wide range of facilities and house valuable equipment and assets such as computers, laboratory equipment, furniture, gym equipment, and vehicles, making them a lucrative target for theft.

CCTV cameras can help protect these items by deterring potential thieves from attempting to steal them for the fear of getting recorded, identified, caught, and punished.

Deterring theft of staff and student property

Students, staff members, and residents living on campus are bound to possess expensive belongings such as mobile phones, computers, and cycles.

These are easy steals for petty criminals who look for opportunities, such as the possessions left unattended, to commit theft when no one is looking.

Luckily, with CCTV cameras, someone is always looking, making it easy to dissuade thieves and giving the people on campus a sense of security that their belongings will be safe.

Deterring anti-social behaviour

Vandalism and violence are common occurrences on university campuses, along with misbehaviours that go against university policy.

The presence of CCTV cameras on campus can deter such criminal activities and help ensure that rules are being followed on campus.

Real-time monitoring

With such huge campuses to manage, it can be difficult to keep an eye on every inch of the property and respond to incidents, such as crime being committed.

CCTV cameras offer real-time monitoring where university management and security personnel can view all activities happening around the campus, as they are happening, allowing them to receive alerts in real-time and respond to incidents by taking the necessary action.

Evidence gathering

CCTV monitoring isn’t just useful for deterring crime but also collecting evidence in the case of a crime being committed.

The recorded footage can the used to identify the perpetrators and help resolve incidents, especially in cases where it is a case of one person’s word against the other.

It can also be of immense help to vulnerable students who are victims of bullying and abuse and who, out of fear, remain quiet and do not call out their bullies.

In addition to that, CCTV footage can be used as legitimate evidence in the court of law and can be used to settle disputes between individuals or groups of individuals. It may also be used by the university management to handle false allegations against the institute.

Controlling unauthorised access

If the right security measures are not taken, it is very easy for unauthorised individuals to gain access to university premises to cause harm to students and teachers.

Controlling access is one of the foundations of security and university management needs to allow only authorised people on campus while restricting those who should not be there.

CCTV cameras placed on all the main entrances of the university will help keep an eye on who is entering and leaving the campus, and with advanced features such as facial recognition, it can become even easier to identify wanted criminals and offenders as soon as they set foot on campus.

This can also be extremely beneficial for keeping students out of restricted areas such as teachers’ private offices and hazardous areas such as the power room.

Peace of mind

Peace of mind and a sense of safety and security for students, teachers, staff members, and parents are probably the biggest advantages of CCTV cameras in universities.

Knowing that their safety is of importance to the university management and that they are safe from threats creates a stronger relationship of trust among the main stakeholders.

Students can focus on their studies and building connections, teachers can focus on imparting knowledge and advancing their careers, and parents can feel at ease knowing that their children are being looked after.

Monitoring the enforcement of COVID-related policies

The post-pandemic world has brought with it a plethora of new challenges, one of them being the enforcement of social distancing and other COVID-related policies such as wearing face masks and minimising contact.

CCTV cameras around the campus can be immensely helpful in implementing said rules and policies and any inappropriate behaviour can be called out immediately.

Advanced CCTV systems can be used to map heat signatures of individuals in a particular area to ensure that not more than a few people are present there at any given time.

DISADVANTAGES OF CCTV IN UNIVERSITIES

The use of CCTV cameras has always been a controversial topic and using them in universities for surveillance has sparked debates all over the world.

While some may argue that they could be a powerful deterrent against crime and other offences, others voice their concerns over the privacy issue that arises and how it can make students and teachers feel like they are being watched at all times.

In addition to that, there are serious concerns over the use of the data collected from CCTV cameras and how safe it is.

In the absence of proper CCTV policies, the security tools could be easily abused to blackmail or target individuals based on colour, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any personal animosity.

This may defeat the purpose of installing CCTV cameras in universities in the first place and have the students and teachers feel even more attacked and violated.

Thankfully, there are strict surveillance laws that all businesses and property owners, including universities, must follow to ensure that the data protection laws are being followed and the people’s rights to privacy and safety are being protected.

In addition to the privacy concerns, there are also issues related to the cost of CCTV systems and how they add to the university’s expenses.

A state-of-the-art advanced CCTV system is sure to cost you money, and the bigger and more complex the system is, the higher the costs will go.

The good news is that with advancements in technology and the increase in demand for CCTV cameras, the costs for surveillance systems have gone down considerably with a suitable system available for every university and budget.

Also, if you think about it, you can’t really put a price tag on safety and security, can you? In our opinion, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs and every single university must invest in CCTV cameras to help make them safer for the students and all those on campus.

CCTV LAWS FOR UNIVERSITIES

According to CCTV laws, the first and foremost responsibility of any university using CCTV cameras is to ensure they are used only when and if it is justified.

They could be used for a variety of reasons including preventing unauthorised access and crime, monitoring for inappropriate and illegal behaviour, monitoring and responding to break-in attempts, and aiding in investigations regarding incidents on the campus.

Whatever the reason, it should be a legitimate one, justified, and beneficial, and the best way to ensure this is to conduct a thorough analysis of the security threats that need to be minimised.

The second responsibility is to notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) when the CCTV cameras are installed on the premises and if their use is changed in any way.

UK universities also need to keep the ICO informed about the purpose of using CCTV cameras on campus and the identity of the data controllers – the individuals responsible for the systems and the way that the data is processed and used.

Once the decision has been made to use CCTV cameras, the university is responsible for letting everyone, who may be the subject of surveillance, know about it and that they may be monitored and recorded.

The most straightforward way of achieving this is to put up clear signs in all the areas under surveillance. The university authorities may also notify the stakeholders of their surveillance policies by putting them up on their website and explaining it during orientation.

Universities using CCTV systems are also responsible for ensuring that the recorded footage is kept safe and used for its intended purpose only.

They are also obligated under the law to not keep CCTV footage for longer than it is necessary. As a rule of thumb, 30 to 31 days is the recommended time that the data can be kept, after which it must be safely deleted.

In some cases, where the footage is required for an ongoing investigation, it may be retained for longer than the recommended period until the investigation is concluded.

Universities have to provide the recorded footage under two circumstances; if someone who is in the footage requests access to it or public authorities such as the police ask for it to be used as evidence in a particular case.

Protecting the data from unauthorised access is one of the most critical components for CCTV use and it is the institute’s responsibility to safeguard it against theft, hacking, and data breaches.

Universities are, under no circumstances, allowed to use CCTV cameras in private areas on the campus such as toilets and changing rooms.

The consequences of breaking these laws are very severe leading to criminal charges and the university administration facing huge fines of up to ÂŁ500,000.

In addition to jail time and fines, universities might end up losing trust since using recording equipment without the data subject’s knowledge is a serious invasion of privacy.

CCTV FEATURES TO LOOK FOR

There are so many different types of CCTV cameras available in the market with great advanced features to help make monitoring and crime deterrence even easier.

When choosing the best CCTV system for campus video surveillance, you must look for the following features:

Remote monitoring

Most university campuses are huge making it difficult to be monitored by a few people. CCTV cameras with remote monitoring capabilities allow security personnel to view both the real-time and recorded footage both on and off-premises.

Notification alerts

Advanced CCTV systems don’t just pick up on unusual behaviour but also have the capability to send notification alerts to security personnel every time they detect any strange activity. This allows university management to receive instant alerts on their smart devices, wherever they may be, allowing them to take action as soon as something out of the ordinary is detected.

Storage solutions

You need to look for storage solutions, such as cloud storage, that can accommodate the amount of data being saved without having to manually delete the previous day’s footage to make space for more, and that also keeps it safe from being stolen, hacked, and misused.

Scalability

Universities require CCTV systems that can easily be scaled up and down according to their needs. Therefore, installing scalable systems is worth considering since the potential changes and upgrades would have already been thought of and wouldn’t cost as much as altering a fixed, unscalable one.

Integrations with other security systems

CCTV cameras are part of a comprehensive security solution that include burglar alarms, access control systems, and smart lights and must therefore be capable of being integrated with them to provide maximum safety and security against all kinds of threats.

CONTACT CALDER SECURITY

Our expert CCTV services include:

We are expert SSAIB-approved security system installers and supply only high-quality CCTV equipment from trusted brands such as Hikvision, one of the world’s leading CCTV manufacturers.

We supply both analogue HD and IP systems as well as advise you on which system would be most appropriate for your security needs.

Our team of professionals don’t just install the CCTV systems and leave, but also provide full training on the equipment making sure you are comfortable with it and know how to use it properly.

Our CCTV monitoring services ensure that your property is being watched over by professional monitoring staff when it is unoccupied or most vulnerable.

We use only Trusted Remote Video Receiving Centres (RVRC) and offer peace of mind that any incident detected would prompt an appropriate response such as notifying the keyholders or alerting the police.

Annual servicing is vital in keeping your CCTV system in good working order. Even if it seems that the system is running fine, the checks and measures involved in a professional service help with the early detection of potential issues.

During a service, we undertake a visual assessment of all equipment, check connections and cabling, clean the cameras, lenses and housing, assess playback and recording quality, and test remote signalling (if applicable).

We also offer CCTV maintenance contracts that include a regularly maintained system by professionals, 24-hour coverage, reduced call-out and labour charges, and a reduction in insurance premiums.

Even well-maintained CCTV systems can develop faults such as loose connections, cameras failing, recording issues, playback not working, or poor-quality images.

If your system fails to record properly, loses clarity of picture, experiences drop out, won’t playback, or faces any other issue, our experienced engineers can diagnose and repair any faults quickly and with minimal disruption.

Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 9799 for a quick consultation with our leading experts right away!

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