Step Up Your Safety Measures: Security Cameras for Schools

Jon Jones ● Nov 2 ● 19 min read

In this day and age, the most important thing for an educational facility is to keep students and staff safe and sound. Educators may discover that school security planning presents a distinct set of challenges. With so many people coming and going throughout the day, it may appear difficult to implement a school security camera solution that provides physical security without interfering with learning. However, Monarch is here to assist educators who work hard to keep their learning environments safe. We have several options for school security cameras.

Monarch recognizes that each school has its own set of issues, goals, and limits. After all, each educational facility has a unique design, setting, population, and other site-specific issues that call for varied degrees of flexibility and complexity to meet their particular demands. At Monarch, we will collaborate with you to build, deploy, and maintain an integrated school security camera system so you can concentrate on what really matters: creating a learning environment that encourages the future’s creators, innovators, and leaders to advance.

Why Have Security Cameras in Schools: Challenges at Schools

As schools grapple with today’s challenges, it is important to partner with experienced security professionals who can help assess risks and implement effective solutions with school security cameras. By staying ahead of the curve, educational facilities can keep their students, faculty, and staff safe from harm with advanced school security camera systems. Consider some of the following security challenges faced by schools that must be addressed with a comprehensive approach:

• Gun Violence: In light of recent school gun violence, faculty should consider upgrading security systems in schools to include advanced, cloud-based school security cameras, alarms, sensors, and door controllers.
• Theft & Vandalism: The National Education Association (NEA) reports that schools are three times more likely to be broken into than businesses. Additionally, the NEA estimates that schools lose over $1 billion annually due to vandalism. As a result, using school security cameras to deter and capture these crimes is critical.
• Unlawful Intrusions: Ensure safety and security by implementing a safety solution that includes door controllers, readers, and school security cameras to prevent intrusions.
• COVID-19 Safety: With schools returning to in-person operations, faculty should ensure safety through monitoring of with school security cameras and sensors.
• Physical Altercations: The NEA reports that 900 educators are threatened every hour of every school day. Furthermore, every hour, over 2,000 students are physically assaulted on school grounds. Keep your students and staff safe from fighting and bullying with environmental sensors that can detect excessive noise and movement. School security cameras can also help deter bullying.
• Vapes: Keep your students safe from the dangers of nicotine and addiction by implementing security systems with environmental sensors that can detect vaping.

Building Schools Security Camera Systems

It is critical to address the most significant issues faced by schools such as unlawful entrance, vandalism, and school shootings while developing a system of security cameras in schools. But there should also be security measures in place at schools to guard against common problems like theft and physical altercations. It is also important to guarantee the safety of places like restrooms, storage facilities, and teacher lounges. At Monarch, we’re here to help you build a Verkada safety solution with school security cameras that is the best fit for your educational facility.

Verkada devices stand out from the rest because they provide an advanced, AI-driven security environment. Consider the following features that make all cloud-based devices of Verkada unique:

• Solid-state Storage (SSD): No NVR, DVR, or server is required. This means you pay for what you use – and that’s all. Moreover, this reduces any extra overhead operations and the expenses they come with!
• Regular, Automatic Software Updates: No need to worry about if your devices are working properly or are up-to-date with our Verkada devices.
• Simple Plug-and-Play Install: Just a standard Ethernet cable is required for the cameras to be brought online and fully operational within minutes.
• Unlimited Storage on Camera and Cloud: Reduce your business’ liability risk with unlimited cloud archiving offered by Verkada cameras.
• Unlimited Users Allowed: You can easily authorize admins access to an unlimited number of users.
• Accessible Anywhere, Anytime: Access archived or live feed videos on any device or browser
• Live Alerts: Receive instant alerts in any meaningful event.
• Infinitely Scalable: No matter how large your business is, we can help you keep everyone on the same page
• 10-Year Warranty: Rest assured that your money is well protected.

Security Cameras in Schools: Benefits of Security Cameras

School security cameras are a critical part of security solutions. After all, schools are often sites of bullying, theft, vandalism, and even intrusions. Consider the following benefits of having school security cameras.

Protection of Students and Staff

• With school security cameras installed as part of your overall security system, it is easy to keep an eye on public locations like parking lots that can often be sites of poor behavior and/or crime.
• The presence of security cameras on school grounds can enhance overall student experiences by discouraging behaviors like bullying, vandalism, and theft. Overall, school security cameras improve your security system and the feeling of safety so that students and staff may feel comfortable in their learning environment.

Resolution of Incidents

• With video footage and intelligent search filters at their disposal, administrators can rapidly locate recorded footage of significant incidents and effectively handle student conflict or behavioral issues.
• In an emergency, school staff and authorized users can submit live video footage captured by the schools’ security cameras instantaneously, significantly reducing the time it takes to contact the authorities and parents.

Deter Threats Proactively

• Deter threats like vandalism and theft with the use of security cameras that are wisely placed throughout school grounds.
• Improve your understanding of what is going on on school grounds by using AI analytics that are available with Verkada’s school security cameras.
• Without having to actively monitor school security cameras, you can be notified of unusual activity such as cars or individuals appearing on campus after school hours.
• In other cases, school security cameras can be utilized to help teachers and instructional aides predict misconduct and potentially prevent it.

Monitoring in Schools with Security Cameras by Verkada: Design and Features

Verkada offers technology that is secure and easy to use for educators. The set-up is simple: once a device is installed, it is online and fully operational within just a few minutes. Moreover, the security devices offered by Verkada do not depend on NVRs. So, you can store up to 365 days of quality footage locally. Furthermore, you can store clips in the cloud indefinitely, so you can easily share archived events when needed. Additionally, the devices of Verkada update automatically, making it easier for you to focus on your job.

Other features of our school security cameras include the following:

• AI-Based Video Analytics: Face detection and person of interest detection. You can easily receive alerts when a person of interest re-enters your business.
• Smart Filters: Search for specific people, vehicles, and objects without having to spend too much time scrubbing through footage.
• License Plate Recognition: Identify license plates of interest in your parking lot.
• Shareable Live Feeds: Share your live feed via SMS. This is useful as you can send it to first responders in case of an emergency for dramatically reduced response time.
• Time lapse: Watch a day of footage in under 30 seconds with timelapses.
• Floor Plan: Quickly respond to incidents with real-time motion plotting. 

Additionally, Verkada offers school security cameras that are thoughtfully designed. The cameras have a durable design, firmware signing, and can detect tampering. Choose the security cameras that fit your needs and ensure school safety. Verkada offers school security cameras that come with the right design and features to ensure the safety and security of staff and students.

Where to Place School Security Cameras

Consider adding school security cameras to the following locations:

• Parking lots
• Classrooms
• School buses
• Loading and unloading zones
• Hallways and stairways
• Campus entrances and main offices
• Cafeterias

Avoid putting cameras anywhere that would invade privacy such as locker rooms and restrooms.

Security Cameras in Schools: The Options for Verkada Security 

We offer a variety of options to meet your security needs including: the Verkada Indoor Dome Series, the Verkada Outdoor Dome Series, the Verkada Bullet Series, the Verkada Mini Series, and Verkada Fisheye Series.

Verkada Indoor Dome Series

The Verkada Indoor Dome Camera is designed for indoor, high-traffic areas. It is the perfect general-purpose security camera for schools. There are three versions of this camera: CD42, CD52, and C62.

The Verkada Outdoor Dome Series

The Verkada Outdoor Dome Series is both weather- and tamper-resistant.  Its capabilities function well even in areas with limited bandwidth and connectivity. They are perfect for monitoring the parking lot and the exterior of schools (e.g., to capture key license plates). There are three versions of this camera: CD42-E, CD52-E, and C62-E.

The Verkada Bullet Series

The Verkada Bullet Series is ideal for long range, outdoor surveillance. It is built to withstand harsh environments. The Verkada Bullet camera is available in two lens types: wide angle and telephoto. There are four versions of this camera: CB51-E, CB61-E, CB51-TE, CB61-TE

The Verkada Mini Series

The Verkada Mini Series offers both flexibility and enhanced resolution for clear footage. The Mini Camera is a compact size that can fit any space, anywhere indoors. As such, consider adding this school security camera to your classrooms. There are three versions of this camera: CM41-S, CM41, and CM41-E.

The ​Verkada Fisheye Camera

The ​Verkada Fisheye Camera provides a panoramic view of the entire property – both indoor and outdoor. This camera allows for total surveillance coverage.

The Verkada Fisheye Camera (CF81-E) is an ideal school security camera. With the option to switch between circle, ePTZ, 2-view, 3-view, or 4-view modes on the CF81-E, you can do away with the need for multiple camera installations. You can also take advantage of features like digital pan-tilt-zoom to increase coverage and lessen blind spots.

Three new different view modes are supported by the CF81-E. You can customize the view mode to meet the requirements of the install location.

• 180° Panoramic: A wide-angle view that is ideal for an open area or a corridor.
• Four-way split: Use a single camera to watch four distinct fields of view.
• Pan-tilt-zoom (ePTZ): Provides a panoramic, all-encompassing view of your environment.

Panoramic

Panoramic is the first view mode. The camera will have a 180° horizontal field of view in this mode. The camera can be tilted to adjust the fields of view to your preferences.

Four-Way Split

Four-Way Split is the second mode. You can monitor four distinct areas all at the same time using the Four-Way Split mode. It’s especially useful for monitoring an outdoor corner, a hallway intersection, or when replacing multiple cameras with one. Site administrators can adjust the Four-Way Split’s angles to better suit their needs and maximize the fields of view.

Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) (PTZ)

Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) is the third mode, and it is adaptable. You can choose to display the video feed in Pan-Tilt-Zoom as a 360° view, a tiles view with various angles, or by using your digital PTZ functionality to pan, tilt, and zoom around the image.

Access Control

Another important addition to a schools’ security system is access control. An access control console allows schools to determine who can enter and access certain areas of the facility. Moreover, an access control console also keeps unauthorized personnel away. Access control also enables staff to move around quickly to maximize efficiency with keycards.

There are many ways to control access to a school, college, or university. Monarch can help you determine which approaches you’d like to employ for your access control.

Verkada’s AC41 Door Controller

With Verkada’s AC41 Door Controller, clients may bring plug-and-play ease to managing doors and access throughout their facility. In other words, as soon as you install the AC41 Door Controller, it is ready to use within minutes. Our Access Controller can easily integrate with any existing door hardware and readers.

With our Command platform, you can easily manage your doors once they are connected to the network (e.g., lock/unlock door schedule). On the Command platform, you can effortlessly manage building access, scheduling, and users. You also save time adding users on the platform since employees are seamlessly configured, onboarded, and offboarded. This is because of the integration with active directory platforms.

Additionally, you can easily connect your Access Controller with your cameras using Verkada Command to provide real-time video analytics on access-related events. Thus, you are able to not only view what is happening at the schools’ points of entry, but also take proactive action for any significant occurrences. The door controller, then, is an essential for your access control system.

Verkada’s AD32 Door Reader

This AD 32 Door Reader supports low and high frequency card formats as well as mobile devices that have the Verkada Pass app. Furthermore, the AD32 Door Reader comes in two different options: the Mullion Mount Plate and the Single Gang Mount Plate. Both options allow for customized installs.

The Single Gang Mount Plate is a common card reader format that can replace existing reader mounts or be used on traditional installations. The thinner Mullion form factor has a sleek design and can be used in smaller spaces such as door frames.

The Uses of An Access Control Console

Consider the following benefits of implementing access control for security camera systems in schools:

Insight on Building Access Activity

• Our access control system handles visitor credentials and ensures that visitors like maintenance and prospective students only have access to specific areas.
• Access control allows the admin to control who can enter and access certain areas of the school.

Intrusion Detection

• Unwanted individuals are prevented from accessing school property through access control on school grounds.
• School safety door locks deter potential crime by allowing only those with authorized credentials to unlock the door, especially at night and on weekends when the school is closed.
• Access control is also crucial for identifying intrusions when they do happen. You can filter for door events like tailgating, holding the door open, forcing the door open, and people of interest.

Asset Protection

• Safeguard important equipment with access control door locks. Only authorized individuals will be able to gain entry into these areas by using access controlled door locks. Prevent vandalism and theft with this measure.
• Misconduct is common in areas such as teacher’s lounges, storage areas, and faculty offices. Schools can prevent students and visitors from entering restricted areas by installing door lock systems that require authorized credentials.

Access Control Console: Managing Access Credentials

You can manage access control on the Verkada Command platform which is where you can monitor all of your devices. There are many different features that you may use to secure access control across the facility. 

First, you can specify the user groups or access levels of the facility on Verkada Command. Then, you can design badge templates for each user group or access level. Next, you can print the badges and issue credentials either in bulk or individually. Finally, you can maintain the users and permissions up to date in real time.

What else can be done on Verkada Command to manage access control? Consider the following features:

• Synchronize Profiles: Synchronize users from SSO systems such as Okta and Azure Active Directory, and natively capture access levels and groups.
• Provisioning with a Single Click: With a single click, employees or students can be issued bluetooth credentials or a physical ID card.
• Log of Badge Events: On Verkada Command, access a log of badge events to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to secure areas.
• Secure De-provisioning: Instantly and automatically deprovision users from all systems and access points.
• Remote Administration: Securly manage doors, schedules, and settings from your chosen device with cloud-based access control. You can create schedules that ensure doors are locked when needed and are secured.
• Unlock Doors from Anywhere, Anytime: Users can remotely unlock authorized doors using either the Verkada Pass and Command Mobile apps
• One-Tap Instant Lockdown: Create custom Lockdown scenarios that can be activated with a single tap to immediately secure buildings in the event of an emergency.
• Filter Events: You can quickly find and respond to access events like tailgating in real time on your dashboard.
• Alerts: Receive door event alerts via SMS or Email

Environmental Sensors

Verkada environmental sensors allow one to easily monitor the health and safety of students and faculty on school grounds. Hence, they are an important addition to security cameras in schools. These sensors can detect: the temperature and humidity, vape and smoke, the air quality, noise levels, and motion. This information is ensures safety and security by providing important measures that affect student and faculty health.

Design and Features

The SV11 has an exterior layer made of stainless steel that has been photochemically etched, followed by a number of sensors that collect and present data. Hence, Verkada’s SV11 tracks changes in the breakdown of chemicals in the atmosphere using the onboard sensors. The Vape Index, a ranking of the chance of vaping/smoking on a scale of 1-100, is derived from the data collected by these sensors.

Furthermore, the SV11 boasts a plethora of other features that make it one of the most popular environmental sensors to a broad range of industries. Consider the following distinguishing features:

• One Cloud-Based Software Platform: Access all sensor data from the Command platform and compare it to a timeline to get a complete picture of when these occurrences occurred. Individuals can also connect any sensor to a Verkada camera, correlating video with sensor-based data.
• Easy Visualization of Data: Easily view and understand environmental data thanks to color-coded sensor readings and data representations.
• Customizable Thresholds: Set custom alert thresholds to receive real-time messages via SMS and email.
• Sensor-Based Alerts: Receive an alert whenever an anomaly is discovered. Alerts are issued through SMS or email to pre-selected individuals and security so that they may respond quickly.
• Alert Configuration: Use custom alerts to reduce needless messages over the weekend and after work. Verkada’s technology allows each user to specify the hours and days of the week that they’d like to receive alerts.

Uses of The SV11: Monitor for Undesirable Environments

• Place sensors in restrooms to help reduce undesirable behaviors such as bullying or vaping
• Measure humidity to avoid mold formation on school grounds
• Measure air quality to ensure there is clean air for students and faculty

Why Choose Verkada for Security Cameras in Schools?

(1) Easy Install and Use

Verkada offers an integrated security platform that can protect students and faculty from different forms of threats. We offer new standards for safety with security cameras for schools. For example, our devices are easy to install, use, and maintain. All of our products have a plug-and-play design meaning that our devices are online within minutes of installation without any configurations on your part. Moreover, you can easily access any device of your organization from any browser or device of yours. Lastly, Verkada products have automatic security and software updates which reduces maintenance overhead.

(3) Guaranteed Scalability

The security systems offered by Verkada do not depend on servers or networks. Thus, we are able to guarantee centralized device management. In other words, you can manage all of your devices on one single cloud-managed platform. Moreover, our security systems have unlimited cloud archiving, making it simple to store and organize critical footage.

(3) Secure from the Beginning

All devices from Verkada are secure by default. Our security systems have end-to-end encryption. In other words, only authorized, inbound connections are accepted and able to access data. Moreover, our security systems offer role-based access. This means administrations are able to configure the levels of user permissions. Lastly, you can view the usage of systems to ensure compliance and internal control with the audit logs that our systems offer.