Police to Have Emergency Access to School Surveillance Cameras

In the event of an emergency incident at a Freehold Borough school, the police department will be able to access video from the district’s surveillance cameras.

During a Freehold Borough Board of Education meeting on Monday, Nov. 21 at , the governing body approved a memorandum of understanding between the district and the department granting the view-only access to the computer server on which the surveillance equipment operates.

“This, in my opinion, is a very big step because I think it makes us safer,” said Patrick DeGeorge, administrator for the Freehold Borough School District. “If something were to occur, the police don’t have to actually get on scene to see what’s going on. They'll be able to see it beforehand.”

Only Police Chief Glenn Roberts and selected officers within the department will be informed of the password to access the server, DeGeorge said. He noted that the memorandum permits the department to only view real-time surveillance footage in the event of an emergency, such as a security breach or possible criminal activity on the property or in the building.

“This memorandum of understanding is necessary legally for us and the police department,” DeGeorge said. “The police will have a software application installed on their server to allow access. It’s controlled by chief of police and his designees. This agreement speaks to the protocol.”

The agreement is valid for the rest of the 2011-2012 school year and can be renewed by the Board of Education on an annual basis.