What Has Big Brother Seen You Do?

October 2, 2009  
Filed under Life at Como, News

By Rev. Parker Hoffman

So you’ve all seen the little shiny doodads on the ceiling? They are not lasers but, in fact, cameras. For those of you new to the school they were added in the fall of ‘08. Como Park was actually the last high school in SPPS to receive them because of our low level of shenanigans. Now, after one full year of having the cameras, were they really worth the money?

Mr. Paddock had this to say about changes at Como since the cameras were installed: There have been no false fire alarms, no bikes have been stolen, and vandalism/theft has been tremendously reduced.

He also went on to explain how they have many other capabilites that help to stop all tomfoolery. All the cameras are digital so the footage can be stored for 3 weeks before it is dumped. Also just about every camera has amazing clarity and a face can be well identified even in the stored footage.

The most interesting part however is that in addition to the monitor in Mr. Paddock’s office, that can view all the feeds and control some movable cameras, there is also a computer bank in downtown Saint Paul school headquarters where there are people monitering the cameras all the time.

Mr Paddock justified all the money spent on security, saying, “When you think of this place like a corporation, each kid is worth 8000 dollars and the school employs many people so by having the cameras we are protecting our investments.”

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