A Proactive Approach

New York school district puts surveillance to the test

Nestled in a valley with rural surroundings, the Onondaga Central School District is located in picturesque upstate New York, just seven miles outside of Syracuse. Despite its tranquil environment, the school district’s administration wanted to help ensure that students and staff would be safe at all times while on school property. To that end, the school district sought an intelligent video surveillance solution that would proactively protect its three schools and help prevent crime and vandalism.

Securing the Schools
In light of increasing violence at schools across the country, Onondaga Central School District decided to put a preventative security strategy in place to help protect its school property, 1,100 students and 180 faculty. The school’s administration knew there were many security products and systems available, each claiming to be the best in its own right, and wanted to be sure it selected the right approach.

In March 2009, at the same time Onondaga Central School District administration was determining what approach to take, the Department of Justice announced that its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services was making approximately $16 million available in grants to help improve school security through a program called “Secure Our Schools.” Superintendent Joseph Rotella learned of the program and successfully secured a grant to cover 50 percent of the total cost of implementing a security system across the school district’s three elementary schools.

When Rotella obtained the grant, it quickly put the school district on the right track. Officials decided to purchase security cameras for the schools. However, the next challenge was to find the best cameras to meet the school district’s needs -- administration wanted something that provided proactive protection, without a lot of overhead. They wanted to be alerted to potential security threats before they happened, yet didn’t want a complex system with multiple parts that require specialists to implement and maintain.

And, school officials wanted something that worked with the school district’s existing network infrastructure, but would not be a burden for its small IT staff.

A Smart Solution
After evaluating a number of video surveillance solutions, the district chose VideoIQ’s iCVR. It combines automated event detection, a built-in DVR and integrated video management into a single solution -- all driven by next-generation analytics.

The school district chose the iCVR because of its ease of implementation, but also because of its intelligent analytic capabilities that identify and pinpoint security threats. When the system detects a possible security issue, it automatically sends a video clip to designated administrators’ e-mail or cell phones, so the situation can be evaluated and addressed.

“The fact that Onondaga Central School District can proactively curtail any potential problems, before something serious happens, is invaluable,” a district official said.

Other evaluated features included the product’s built-in DVR. Unlike other video cameras that require the separate purchase of a DVR, the iCVR comes complete with one built in. Additionally, there is the ability to store all video at the edge and intelligently control storage resolution based on what it sees requires minimal bandwidth upgrades, saving time, energy and money. Up to two months worth of video can be stored.

Onondaga Central School District also was impressed by how easy the system is to use. Once the camera is installed, it automatically calibrates and gets smarter with each object it detects. Its ability to identify when someone is loitering or crosses onto school grounds is critical to ensuring the safety of the school district’s property and students. Object search is a great feature, enabling someone to search through recorded video and find a car or person in seconds, all with the click of a mouse.

There are currently 24 cameras installed across the three schools, and the school district is considering expansion. Most importantly, Onondaga Central School District now has the means to monitor for and record any incidents that occur on its property. The iCVR’s capability to search through recorded video and find a person of interest within seconds can speed investigations exponentially. Having a secure environment for students and staff is always the school district’s top priority, and the VideoIQ iCVR helps ensure this at all times.

About the Author

Robert Sauro is the director of technology for Onondaga Central School District.

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.