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School security system to give police access to camera feeds
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio K-12 school scheduled to open in the fall will include a security system that would allow police to tap into school cameras.
[...]The school in suburban Dayton would have blue pull-alarms throughout the building, similar to red fire alarms, which teachers or students could pull in an emergency. If an alarm is pulled, the system would alert first responders to the location and nature of the emergency via pendants worn by staff.
The system’s software also would also allow the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office access to the school’s video-camera feed so authorities can view the area.
[...]Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper said that group’s members want an increased focus on addressing student behavioral issues, not on fortifying schools.
Does this sound like good idea?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DrkShadow on Tuesday March 26 2019, @01:43AM (3 children)
Seems like all these systems are _re_active in nature. Don't _stop_ travesties from occuring, don't work to better society and make it so these things don't happen. Instead, _when_ these things happen, and they're now part of the plan, make real good sure you can catch the fell'er who done did it!
That's been possible from day one, without all this. The people who commit massacres or large-scale crimes (Oklahoma city bombing, Littleton high school shooting) don't go free and unknown. These things do nothing to prevent bringing to bear the committer of any serious crime, and the powers probably don't even care about any non-serious crime. This is completely reactive, as a sort assuring society, 'If someone kills you, we'll be sure to bring 'em to "justice"!'
That strikes me as the real problem with the growth of the police state. It doesn't actually help anyone. Not the victims, not the perpetrators, there's no attempt at prevention. It's just authoritarianism.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 26 2019, @02:19AM
In a free society the job of the police is to make the lives of the citizens easier.
In an authoritarian society the job of the citizens is to make the lives of the police easier.
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday March 26 2019, @01:32PM (1 child)
Well said. Yet it has seemed like for a long time the concept that "you won't get away with it, we will catch you and you'll be in for a nice long stay with Bubba," has had deterrent effects. "Go ahead, but think and don't do the crime if you don't want to do the time." But from 9/11 to Brenton Tarrant we are seeing persons who either don't care about the penalty or are willing to pay it.
And how do you proactively prevent crime while still ensuring civil liberties? Some of these reactive measures are intended to be proactive so that the ability to have something similar happen is lowered, yet forces an even heavier police state. I'm not arguing that prevention isn't a good idea - just the contrary. But preventive measures, when exercised by the state, also need to respect concepts like innocent until proven guilty and limiting investigation until clearly warranted.
If one could take away all the guns (that's a big if and I doubt it would happen in the United States) then one wouldn't be able to use guns in a crime. That would be preventive. But not ethicallly correct IMVHO.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 26 2019, @06:05PM
I'm in the camp that the purpose of police is to stop and punish crimes. Prevention should be left to those that understand that aspect (community leaders, NGOs, educators).
The police have too much power to be granted that kind of access.