Roselle schools to install video surveillance

Starting this fall, a new video surveillance system will watch over students in Roselle and warn parents about emergencies using e-mail, phone and text messages.

It is the latest move in an ongoing safety push that includes putting more guards in the schools.

"You are always looking to protect staff and students from any outside intruders," said superintendent Elnardo J. Webster. "The outside intrusion is a realistic situation that always has to be in the forefront of your mind."

The new system cost the schools about $15,000 and was purchased from Fairfield-based Virtual Ed Link Technologies. The camera system will be pointed at the exteriors of the schools and in some hallways, but won't focus on students in classrooms, according to Luiggi Campagna, business administrator for the district.

"We don't have that need right now," Campagna said. "Maybe some other districts may, but that would not be the case for Roselle."

Roselle's six schools are relatively safe compared with many in the state. According to state education department statistics, there were only 10 incidents of violence in the 2007-2008 school year, two vandalism incidents and no weapons incidents.

Webster said the security system won't just coordinate cameras and surveillance. It also includes a parent alert system.

That alert system will notify parents if there is a school closing or emergency, according to Alan McCartney, the vice president of Virtual Ed Link. The company already serves colleges and universities, as well as 143 school districts in New York state.

Cameras and software aren't the only safety measures recently taken in Roselle. The district added five full-time security guards last year, nearly doubling the number of guards from seven to 12.

According to Webster, the state mandated new security measures for schools around the state, and has increased funding to pay for it.

Parents told of the new warning system said it would be a welcome improvement.

"That is a wonderful idea," said Leonard V. Moore Middle School parent Mirlena Cuesta. "That would be the best thing the school can do."

Although the Roselle school board paid for the entire cost of the system up front, Campagna said the district will likely be reimbursed for up to 60 percent of the cost through E-rate, a federal program that reimburses schools for spending on technology for education or security.

The school system isn't done investing in safety. Webster said on Monday that he hopes to create a new position on the payroll this year for a supervisor of security.

Eliot Caroom is a reporter for the New Jersey Local News Service. He can be reached at (908) 243-6215 or ecaroom@njlns.com.