Couldn’t help but notice this item from the TAB’s synopsis of Monday’s Newton School Committee meeting (emphasis in bold is mine)…
Newton North Principal Jennifer Price said students at Newton North feel much safer with the 161 security cameras in place and that “anecdotally theft is way, way down” at the building. She said she was able to use the cameras after a teacher’s laptop was stolen and provide the student who took it the help the student needed.
Another “Words with friends” addiction? Glad we have a dept to help
I’m so glad we spent $500,000 on those security cameras to retrieve a $500 laptop. There was clearly no better use for that money.
I think this is a great story. I still don’t understand the opposition to cameras. We’ve seen how they have aided in identifying criminals such as kidnappers, thieves, and even murderers. I’m all for our schools arming themselves with this capability especially in the litigious world we live in.
Mike, for you to point out this one cost to benefit ratio is glib. This is an on going security system that is a deterrent, witness and evidence. No innocent people are being called out on anything.
As for getting the thief ‘help.’ What is the matter with that? I assume this is a high school kid who is still at a impressionable age and ‘help’ might actually work.
Kudos to NNHS.
I have no problem with how this particular incident was handled.
I do have a problem with spending $500K on security cameras for the two high schools, while our elementary and middle schools are falling apart. I thought it was a bad way to spend our money.
This is not dissimilar to my criticism of the city spending $500,000 to conduct a study of all are crumbling school and municipal buildings. Waste a half million over here, spend another half million on a study over there… Before you know it you’re talking about real money. Tell me we couldn’t have used that $1,000,000 to actually FIX something.
I’m sick of wasting money. I’m sick of all the studies. I’m sick of nothing ever getting fixed.
We don’t have Jen Price’s exact words from the School Committee meeting, but she said something about the student needing help because the theft wasn’t about the student wanting the laptop.
Glad to see you’re reading the TAB so carefully Greg!
After I read this, I was left wondering how Newton North Principal Jennifer Price knows that “students at Newton North feel much safer with the 161 security cameras in place.” We had many more important questions to answer when putting this paper together than this, but I don’t think anyone on the School Committee asked that question.