Jamesburg to keep closer electrical eye on JFK School
By: Bill Greenwood
JAMESBURG The school district hopes that expanding its video surveillance system will mean a safer school ground at John F. Kennedy School.
New cameras with DVD-recording capabilities have been installed in the school’s playground area, and a new monitor for viewing the images produced by the cameras, allowing better image quality, also has been installed in the school office.
The additions are meant to keep trespassers off school grounds. Superintendent Shirley Bzdewka said there have been no problems, but she wants to provide an extra line of security at the school.
"We want to create an environment that makes students and teachers feel more secure and safe," said Ms. Bzdewka.
The new technology is part of the district’s desire to remain ahead of the curve when it comes to safety, Ms. Bzdewka said. Video surveillance systems have been monitoring every door at both JFK School and Grace M. Breckwedel School for nine years, a time during which many other schools had only one camera each, according to Bzdewka.
"When we first did it, we did it because it was the right thing to do," she said. "Our philosophy has always been to be proactive."
Since its installation, the surveillance system has been used during work hours as part of other procedures meant to ensure safety at the district’s schools. Any visitor to either school must be buzzed in by the secretary, who first confirms the individual’s identity on the video monitor in the office, Ms. Bzdewka said.
It is also used to ensure that students do not slip outside during the school day and to check for doors that have been propped open, she said.
The installation was completed by Intel Surveillance and was funded by the district’s equipment fund.

