Brandon school board to install 43 gatekeeper system cameras The board of trustees for the Brandon School Division has approved a plan to install surveillance cameras on its fleet of school buses in a bid to increase the safety of students and bus drivers.
The initiative will see cameras placed on all 43 of its buses before the end of June, 2017 at a cost of about $150,000. The cameras will also be installed on any new buses the division purchases in the future. Gatekeeper Systems Inc. out of Abbotsford, B.C. was awarded the contract after the company’s bid was approved at the regular BSD board meeting on Dec. 12.
Division board chair Kevan Sumner said a trustee with concerns about student behavioral issues on buses suggested the use of cameras as a supervisory tool. The discussion to purchase and install the technology has been ongoing for more than three-quarters of a year, beginning when surplus funding was available at the end of the last fiscal year, he said.
“There’s a spectrum of safety issues at any given time. Unfortunately, some incidents are more serious than others, but we’ve been fortunate that it’s not a constant thing,” Sumner said, adding that some bus routes have more issues than others.
“In the past, we’ve had education assistant staff brought onto the buses to help with supervision. Ultimately, the key thing is to have drivers keep their primary attention on the road.”
Besides recording activity occurring inside the bus, the cameras will also have the ability to document the license plates of other vehicles not abiding by traffic legislation as it pertains to school buses.
“This will give us a visual record to help with enforcement,” Sumner said. “This is not a major issue in Brandon, though. In general, we have a community that is very respectful of school buses.”
The BSD runs its 43 school buses throughout Brandon along with several rural routes that bring students to the city and schools in other communities, including CFB Shilo and Alexander. Sumner said he has not yet encountered any negative feedback about the idea, specifically as it pertains to privacy matters, as students are being video recorded.
“During the budget process we went through for this project, the public had the opportunity to have input on it and I can’t remember any parents mentioning anything about concerns or even about approval,” he said. “I know no one has come to me about privacy concerns. I can’t say there aren’t any out there, but if there is, they haven’t told me.”
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