Administrative Guideline – Video Surveillance

Effective Date: June 5, 2006
Responsibility: Director of Education

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RATIONALE

The Near North District School Board is dedicated to the goal of providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment through the development and implementation of programs designed to maintain a safe environment for its students, staff and property. Executive Limitation, EL-14, entitled Safe, Healthy, Respectful and Secure Environment states: “The Director of Education shall not fail to take all reasonable measures to provide a safe, healthy, respectful and secure environment for students, staff members and volunteers while engaged in school activities. The Near North District School Board supports the use of video surveillance in schools and in buses as a means of ensuring the safety of students, staff and property. The Board’s use of video surveillance is intended to accomplish three main goals:

• ensuring the on-going safety of students,
• promoting a safe environment,
• controlling vandalism and theft of school property.

DEFINITIONS of terms used in this document.

(Some come from the Guidelines for Using Video Surveillance Cameras in Schools, December 2003, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario)

1. Personal Information is defined as recorded information about an identifiable individual, which includes, but is not limited to, information relating to an individual’s race, colour, national or ethnic origin, sex and age. If a video surveillance system displays these characteristics of an identifiable individual or the activities in which he or she is engaged, its contents will be considered “personal information” as defined under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
2. Record means any record of information, however recorded, whether in printed form, on film, by electronic means or otherwise and includes: a photograph, a film, a microfilm, a videotape, a machine-readable record and any record that is capable of being produced from a machine readable record.
3. Video Surveillance System refers to a video, physical or other mechanical, electronic or digital surveillance system or device that enables continuous or periodic video recording, observing or monitoring of personal information about individuals in open, public spaces. The term video surveillance system includes an audio, thermal imaging technology or any other component associated with capturing the image of an individual.
4. Surveillance Equipment refers any component of a video surveillance system that is used to create an electronic or digital image of any personal information about an individual in a public place.
5. Reception Equipment refers to any component of a video surveillance system used to receive or record personal information about an individual in a public place.
6. Storage Device refers to a videotape, computer disk or drive, CD ROM, DVD, computer chip or other device used to store the recorded data or visual, audio, or other images captured by a video surveillance system.

POLICY

Consistent with the Near North District School Board’s policy in maintaining a safe, healthy, respectful and secure environment, it is the policy of the Board to utilize video surveillance cameras in public areas of its schools and buses in order to ensure the ongoing safety of students, staff and property. Where a bus is shared with another school board, approval from the sharing board must be obtained prior to installation of equipment. Surveillance equipment for the video surveillance system will be located in public access areas of schools and/or in areas where there is demonstrated need to protect Board owned equipment and property such as computers located in school information technology centres. Any exterior surveillance equipment will be located to monitor only school property, and not neighbourhood areas. School principals or their designates in consultation with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator will be responsible for the use of the system equipment and for the privacy obligations under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The principal of the school will ensure that the Reception equipment and storage devices are accessible only to authorized personnel and that access to the Reception equipment by others is prohibited. Storage devices (e.g. CD or DVD) may be reused on a bi-weekly basis unless one must be viewed. If viewed to assist in resolving a security or safety issue, the storage device will be kept in a locked secured area for a period of one year from the date of resolution of the incident.

SYSTEM EXPECTATIONS

1. Surveillance Equipment will be installed only in identifiable public areas for the purpose of ensuring the ongoing safety of students, staff and property.
2. Surveillance equipment will be installed in such a manner that it monitors only the identified spaces requiring video surveillance.
3. Reception equipment will be installed in areas accessible only to authorized personnel.
4. Access to the reception equipment will be restricted to only those who are directly responsible (the principal or designate).
5. Monitoring of places where students, staff or authorized visitors have an expectation of privacy (change rooms, washrooms, staff rooms) will be prohibited.
6. Appropriate video surveillance notification signs will be prominently displayed in buildings or buses where there is video surveillance.
7. All storage devices that are not in use shall be stored securely in a locked and secure location. Any storage device that has been used will be dated and labelled.
8. Only authorized personnel will have access to the storage area. A log will be maintained to document all instances of access to and use of recorded material.
9. Principals will inform their staffs, students, parents/guardians, and school neighbours about this policy. A sample letter to parents or guardians and school neighbours follows:

To all parents or guardians or neighbours of our school:

The Near North District School Board supports the use of video surveillance in schools and in buses as a means of ensuring the safety of students, staff and property. The Board’s use of video surveillance is intended to accomplish three main goals:

• ensuring the on-going safety of students,
• promoting a safe environment,
• controlling vandalism and theft of school property.

Surveillance equipment will be located in public access areas of schools and/or in areas where there is demonstrated need to protect Board owned equipment and property such as computers located in school information technology centres. Any exterior surveillance equipment will be located to monitor only school property, and not neighbourhood areas.

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Surveillance Equipment will be installed only in identifiable public areas for the purpose of ensuring the ongoing safety of students, staff and property.
2. Surveillance equipment will be installed in such a manner that it monitors only the identified spaces requiring video surveillance.
3. Monitoring of places where students, staff or authorized visitors have an expectation of privacy (change rooms, washrooms, staff rooms) will be prohibited.
4. All reception equipment and storage devices will be installed in a secure area, accessible only to those with proper authorization. A log will be maintained to document all instances of access to and use of recorded material.

Please contact your local school Principal if you have questions about this policy.

Heli Vail
Director of Education.