Reporters for a high school newspaper uncover hidden cameras throughout the school near locker rooms and bathrooms placed there by the Superintendent

[Terminator]

Several hidden security cameras hung in the halls of Newton South High School for months, not yet operational and apparently undetected, until reporters for the school's student newspaper started asking questions. Now the School Committee and teachers' union say they want an explanation, and the superintendent is promising to be more forthcoming about the new security tactic before activating the cameras, intended to catch thieves.


"We probably did not introduce this security measure in a particularly great way, and we need to go back now, after vacation, with both high school principals and figure out what their security needs are and what possible steps are involved, and see how we can better communicate that policy to the public," Superintendent Jeffrey M. Young said yesterday.
Newton South's student newspaper, the Denebola, broke the story in its Dec. 19 issue under the headline "Secret Cameras installed," with an accompanying editorial criticizing administrators for not telling students they would be watched.
The editors won't say how the paper learned of the existence of the cameras, which are hidden inside dark-tinted domes or disguised as smoke alarms. But they said in a statement that the story, written by juniors Jason Kuo and Nathan Yeo, was held a month so they could get comment from the school's principal, Brian Salzer, who had been in China. He confirmed to the students that the cameras had been put in place.
"One of the premises of running the article was that the community should know and have a discussion before cameras are installed," co-editors Olivia DaDalt and Alex Schneider, both seniors, wrote in an e-mail to the Globe.
Young said the district spent $12,000 out of its general maintenance budget to install the cameras at the end of the summer outside of locker rooms and bathrooms, where school officials had noted several thefts of student property. He said the School Committee was not asked to sign off on the specific purchase.
Young said he was not sure why the cameras had not been activated, but said he believed it was a software issue. Once the cameras are activated, the school's principal will be able to view recordings in an effort to identify who may have been involved in wrongdoing. They were not to be continually monitored, he said.
Schools are increasingly installing security cameras, both discreet ones and easily identifiable, said Glenn Koocher, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. Typically, though, such cameras are used at entrances to identify intruders.
"It's largely around the issue of making sure the appropriate people come into the building, and the people who shouldn't be there don't come into the building," Koocher said. "Theft is a major issue, but so is trespassing."
He added that it is not uncommon for students to be unaware that security cameras are present. "You don't necessarily want people knowing all the time where the cameras are."
Dori Zaleznik, chairwoman of the School Committee, said it had not been informed about the cameras. She declined to comment further, saying the panel needed to be briefed by administrators.
Cheryl Turgel, president of the Newton Teachers Association, said the union has supported security cameras in the past, but teachers should not have learned about them from the student newspaper.
"It's not that security cameras are taboo, it's just the way they were done," she said.
Julie Sall of the Newton South Parent Teacher Student Organization said the group had not been informed of the camera installation, but there had been discussion about the possibility.
Still, she said protecting students is paramount. "If the security is for internal theft, frankly that would be great," she said.

[Jenna]

Maybe it's for a reality show!

[Pudge]

What's the big friggin deal? So long as they aren't hidden in the restroom or locker room who cares.


The entitled little bastards don't have any right to know where the cameras are. Keep em honest.

[Cidp24]

What's the big friggin deal? So long as they aren't hidden in the restroom or locker room who cares.


The entitled little bastards don't have any right to know where the cameras are. Keep em honest.

+1

[Donut Aficionado]

It was a covert security camera that caught the girls that stole my daughters purse on the first day of school this year. I am all for it as long as the cameras are not put in places like locker rooms.

The girl that did the theft got a warning...........

[Illiy]

I agree... no questionable areas...

[Jks9199]

Let's see... "cameras hidden in dark tinted domes." It ain't hard to recognize those camera domes!

And... what was the issue in the first place? As has been said, they weren't placed in bathrooms or locker rooms. No reasonable expectation of privacy in a school hallway. In fact, there probably ought to be cameras in the classrooms, too!

[Five-0]

In fact, there probably ought to be cameras in the classrooms, too!

Cameras in every public area of the school would be fine by me. Then they can put it on the web so parents can see the feed at anytime. I would love this.

[ManImBored]

What's the big friggin deal? So long as they aren't hidden in the restroom or locker room who cares.


The entitled little bastards don't have any right to know where the cameras are. Keep em honest.

+2. They are called security cameras for a reason. If the little turds know where the cameras are, they will steal the stuff from the area with no cameras, its common sense.

[Bob Loblaw]

What's the big friggin deal? So long as they aren't hidden in the restroom or locker room who cares.

I agree with you, except the last part. They definitely need cameras in the cheerleader locker rooms...you cannot trust them and they must be watched 24-7

[Five-0]

I agree with you, except the last part. They definitely need cameras in the cheerleader locker rooms...you cannot trust them and they must be watched 24-7

Heh there Bob, I got a little registration paperwork I need you to fill out and get back to me. That would be greeeaaaaatttt!

[Bob Loblaw]

Heh there Bob, I got a little registration paperwork I need you to fill out and get back to me. That would be greeeaaaaatttt!

does it involve me having to go to all my neighbors and warn them about the "seedy, insidious bastard that lives on their street?"

[Cst.SB]

As the end of my SRO stint comes up I can tell you that having cameras overt/covert would be an awesome thing in my school. Especially ones that shoot the entrance ways to wash/locker rooms, as they are the two worst locations for dealing and thefts.

A complete cell phone ban would be awesome as well!!! Nothing like a couple thousand kids calling home during a bomb threat to drop a cell tower!

[Probation13-901]

agree that they should keep the cameras. I don't see why there is such an uproar about it.

[ex401mp]

Shit I took a chance and voted before I read the article. Should have known better...

[mack]

I don't see what the big deal is. Camera's are a great deterent to crime in the schools, they should have them in the classroom also, any area that does not interfere with privacy. I'm sure the teachers would feel much more secure also. With what they get paid and what they put up with on a daily basis, they deserve at least some security measures.

[lewisipso]

Cameras in every public area of the school would be fine by me. Then they can put it on the web so parents can see the feed at anytime. I would love this.

Agreed!

[Five-0]

Agreed!

I bet you two weeks pay that teachers' unions would raise holy hell.

[Probation13-901]

[QUOTE=mack;303444] I'm sure the teachers would feel much more secure also. QUOTE]

I don't know about some of them, they may get caught napping.

[Rhino]

Whoa whoa whoa... let's not be hasty. We can put them in the girls locker room's. You know, for safety. And to make sure no perverts are watching, I'll be the only one to monitor them.

Brad said he gets the boy's locker rooms.

Wait- whut?