Meridian Public School

Mississippi School District Installs IQinVision Megapixel Cameras

  • Mar 02, 2012

The Meridian Public School District (MPSD) in Mississippi has installed approximately 373 IQinVision IQeye HD megapixel cameras at their 12 school buildings and campuses. The Meridian Public School District has over 6,000 students in grades K-12 with more than 550 certified staff and approximately 500 classified staff.

At the end of the 2010 school year, MPSD embarked on their ambitious plan to install a unified video surveillance system in all their schools. By the start of the next school year, the system was up and running and the hundreds of IQeye 2 MP Alliance domes were transmitting new, high quality video images for security and administration personnel.

“In this initial phase, we were looking to migrate a number of different systems and old camera technologies to a single, upgraded system covering all our schools,” said Tim Boutwell, MPSD director of technology. 

The focus was to get all the elementary and middle schools covered, as well as portions of the high school campus. Despite budget constraints and the occasional installation challenge, the system was up and running in short order and has been delivering positive results.

IQeye cameras are deployed at six elementary schools, three middle schools, and the vocational center at the high school to cover bus lanes, parent pick-up lanes, school entrances/exits, administrative offices, as well as many hallways.

“We had been talking about upgrading video surveillance for some time,” said Boutwell. “This project fit right in line with our number one district goal: safe and orderly schools. Now, there is no question that we have a much better idea what is going on at each of our campuses and that we have achieved a higher level of accountability.”

Video is monitored at each school location by school personnel, using a 22-inch monitor at his/her workstation. Each principal also has access to their school’s video, ensuring that at each school at least two people can monitor video at all times. At the District office, the Director of Security and the Director of Maintenance have access to video from all 373 cameras and they provide important back-up monitoring to the efforts at each school. The IQeye Alliance domes offer H.264 Main Profile compression, enabling MPSD to view and record at 30 frames per second. Video is stored for approximately one week.

Meridian staff have been using the new system for about five months.

“This video system makes it very easy for each principal to know who is on campus,” said Boutwell. “We have great views of each campus and the surrounding areas. It’s a tremendous benefit. We frequently have ‘he said, she said’ incidents, and now the principal can easily and quickly go back and see exactly what happened. We also have some vandalism, and we have been able to catch the offenders based on the video images—it’s worked tremendously for that. Boutwell reports that he’s confident that Meridian School’s identification of vandals and other perpetrators has greatly improved. “We’re pleased with the image quality of the cameras. We’re really enjoying the new cameras.”

The future calls for adding cameras and areas under surveillance as budget becomes available.

Featured

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

  • Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • 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.