Community Shows Support for Security Cameras at MVHS

Parents and students Monday night had the opportunity to speak with Mount Vernon High School Principal Nardos King about the .  

Mount Vernon High School was one of the first schools to get exterior surveillance cameras through a government safety grant. Prior to the installation of the exterior cameras, incidents of vandalism occurred about twice a month. After the cameras were installed, the frequency of these incidents decreased; nine out of 10 times, the cameras helped administrators catch and identify perpetrators, said King. She hopes the interior surveillance cameras will not only help deter negative behavior, but will add a layer of extra security.

“I take my job very seriously and I take safety and security of students very seriously,” she said at Monday night's community meeting.

Twelve fights have broken out inside the building so far this year, she noted. Of those incidents, said King, two were in the classrooms and 10 were in the hallway or cafeteria. She plans to install nine cameras in “hot spots” including the subschools, near high-traffic entrances and the lobby. Two additional cameras will be installed in the cafeteria.

The total estimated cost of the cameras and installation is $39,049, including $8,000 for the cameras in the cafeteria that will be paid for by FCPS. The remaining $31,049 will be paid for with accumulated "community use credits," an expense King says is “worth it.”

“Building credits, to me, pay for things to help our facility,” King said. “We save that money for projects in the school, mainly technology.”

King will continue to accept feedback from the community, parents, and students until June 1.

“We have not made the decision,” King stressed to the group. “This is our desire but I want to wait to see how much support we have.”

Early input from staff and parents has shown there is strong support for the cameras.

“It sounds like a good idea,” said Sue McKinney, a parent who attended the meeting Monday night.

Her daughter, Megan, an MVHS junior, agreed.

“I think [the locations] are right,” she said. “When you go through the school you see where [students] hang out. I feel like anybody who has any concerns are the ones doing something wrong.”

After June 1, King will evaluate the feedback and will send an email to the cluster asking permission to move forward. If her request is approved, her goal is to install them this summer so they are ready in time for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year.