Onondaga School District

2 Jul 2013

Protecting 1,200+ students and faculty at multiple campuses

Objective

Proactively prevent crime, deter vandalism and protect 1,000 students and 180 faculty at three elementary school campuses.

Challenges

• Proactively respond to and deter potential incidents of school violence
• Solution must work with existing network and small IT staff
• No existing video surveillance systems in place
• District budget cannot significantly increase

Nestled in a valley with rural surroundings, the Onondaga Central School District is located in upstate New York. Despite its tranquil and picturesque environment, there was growing concern for the safety of the school districts children, teachers and staff while on school grounds. The alarming increase of violence on school campuses prompted the Onondaga Central School District to develop and implement a prevention-oriented security strategy for their three elementary schools. With no pre-existing security or video surveillance systems, the strategic planning goal was to deploy a security solution that was easy to install and manage across multiple sites, would not require additional staff, and be scaleable and affordable. Onondaga Superintendent Joseph Rotella successfully secured a grant through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) that covered 50 percent of the total investment of implementing a security system across the three schools.Robert Sauro, the district’s Director of Technology, recalls, “When we obtained the grant, we decided to purchase a video surveillance system for the three schools. Our challenge was to find the best cameras for us. We wanted to be proactively alerted to potential threats before they happened, yet didn’t want a complex system that required specialists to implement and maintain. We needed something that worked with our existing network infrastructure but would not be a burden for our small IT staff.

The Solution

After evaluating a number of video surveillance solutions, the Onondaga Central School District ultimately chose a single solution built around 24 VideoIQ ICVR cameras fully integrated with intelligent video analytics, edge storage and and an integrated video management system. The HD cameras analyze and track scene movements using patented, award- winning analytics. Personnel are instantly alerted when a suspicious activity is detected, so security respond immediately and deter crime. The cameras’ on-board storage each store up to two months of HD video and intelligently control the storage resolution based on what they detect. This requires minimal bandwidth and network upgrades — saving time, energy and money. The solution also included VideoIQ ViewTM advanced video management software at no extra cost. Since the initial deployment, the district has deployed over 30 cameras throughout its campuses.

Results

• 24 ICVR cameras quickly installed across three campuses
• Officials now proactively monitor events as they occur
• Instant response to loiterers or trespassers on campus
• Ability to search video and find persons of interests speeds investigations
• Edge storage did not impact network infrastructure

The Video IQ Choice

“We chose VideoIQ because of the analytic capabilities that can identify and pinpoint security threats,” Sauro said. “When an ICVR detects a possible security issue, it automatically sends a video clip to the email or smartphones of designated administrators so that we can evaluate and respond to the situation. The fact that we can proactively curtail any potential problems, before something serious happens, is invaluable to us.“We were impressed by how easy the system is to use, including the free software that comes with the camera,” Sauro continues. “Once the camera is installed, it automatically calibrates and gets smarter with each object it detects. Its ability to identify someone loitering or crossing onto school grounds is critical to ensuring the safety of our property and students. The Object Search capability is a great feature — we can search through recorded video and find a car or person in seconds, all with the click of a mouse. The ICVR’s capability to search through recorded video and find a person of interest within seconds can speed investigations exponentially. “We are always planning ahead to make improvements to our schools,” added Sauro, noting that the district is already looking to expand its video surveillance system. “Having a secure environment for our students and staff is always our top priority, and the VideoIQ ICVR helps ensure this.”

”The fact that we can proactively curtail any potential problems, before something serious happens, is invaluable to us.” – Robert Sauro, Director of Technology, Onondaga Central School District

Onondaga School District | VideoIQ