MEGAN, WHAT WOULD THIS TECHNOLOGY DO? WELL, GUYS, ONE THING OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE CHIEF WADE GOURLEY WANTS TO STRESS IS THIS ISN’T SURVEILLANCE IN SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THIS IS SIMPLY TO GET REAL TIME INFORMATION IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. BUT ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ARGUES IT’S AN INVASION OF PRIVACY. WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS TO ENSURE THAT THAT THOSE POLICIES ARE BEING FOLLOWED? HOW DO WE KNOW AND HOLD ACCOUNTABLE? THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE FEEDS ARE ONLY ACCESSING IT IN VERY PARTICULAR INSTANCES THAT THEY’RE, UM, THEY’RE SAYING THEY NEED IT FOR. IT’S NOT SURVEILLANCE. THERE’S VERY STRICT GUIDELINES ON WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE CAMERAS. OKC CITY COUNCIL APPROVED INCREASED FUNDING. OF $90,000 IN THEIR CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY. FUZES FOR OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT’S REAL TIME INFORMATION CENTER. THE FUNDING WOULD ALLOW EASIER ACCESS TO SCHOOL SECURITY CAMERAS. FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS NOT PUT CAMERAS IN THE SCHOOLS. THEY’RE ALREADY THERE. WE HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE CAMERAS NOW IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. UM, IT JUST IS A DELAYED PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET THAT INFORMATION IN THE EVENT SOMETHING HAPPENS IN THE SCHOOL. POLICE CHIEF WADE GOURLEY ADVOCATING FOR THE FUNDS, SAYING THIS IS SIMPLY A WAY TO PROTECT SCHOOLS IN REAL TIME IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, NOT TO SPY ON KIDS. HE ALSO ADDED SOME DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS LAYER OF PROTECTION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE UVALDE AFTER ACTION REPORT IS THAT ACCESS TO CAMERAS IN A CRITICAL INCIDENT IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT ALLOWS OFFICERS TO GET EYES ON THE SITUATION AND KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. SO. SO WHEN THEY GO IN THERE, THEY’RE PREPARED FOR THAT. WHILE COUNCILWOMAN JOBETH HAMMOND SAYS SHE AGREES CHILDREN NEED TO BE PROTECTED IN SCHOOLS, SHE WORRIES THIS COULD BE A BREACH IN PRIVACY AND WORRIES ABOUT OVER POLICING BEING SAFE FROM POLICE VIOLENCE AND ABUSE OF THAT POWER. UM, IS ALSO A THING I THINK WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AS CITY LEADERS. IT’S FRUSTRATING TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RE AGAINST THIS SYSTEM, YOU’RE AGAINST SAFETY. WHEN I THINK THAT’S KIND OF A FALSE EQUIVALENCY THAT THAT WAS, I THINK, REALLY VERY PART OF THE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY, OR THAT’S WHERE IT TURNED TO. AND OCPD TELLS ME THERE’S NO SET DATE, BUT HOPEFULLY IT’S IMPLEMENTED BY THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. REPORTING LI
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New technology allows Oklahoma City police to access school cameras during emergencies
One councilmember feared the system could be used for other purposes
A new surveillance system in schools could help Oklahoma City police respond to an active threat quickly. >> Download the KOCO 5 AppOKC City Council approved $90,000 in increased funding to bring real-time technology to schools. A contract with a company called Fusus would allow the Oklahoma City Police Department to have easier access to school security cameras. "What are the mechanisms to ensure that those policies are being followed? How do we know the people who have access to those feeds are only accessing it in particular instances that they're saying they need it for?" said Councilmember JoBeth Hammon, who represents Ward 6. Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley said he wanted to stress the technology isn't surveillance in school systems, but it is used to get information in real-time in case of an emergency. “It's not surveillance. There are very strict guidelines for us to be able to access those cameras," Gourley said. "First of all, this is not the cameras in schools. They're already there. We have access to those cameras now in the event of an emergency. It's just a delayed process that we have to go through to get that information if something happens in a school." Gourley advocated for the funds, saying this is a simple way to protect schools in case of an emergency. He also said that some districts have been asking for this layer of protection. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here."One of the things that came out of the Uvalde after action report was that access to cameras in a critical incident are important. It allows officers to get eyes on the situation and know where the problem is, so when they go in there, they are prepared for that," Gourley said. While Hammon said she agrees children need to be protected in schools, she said she worries this could be a breach of privacy and worries about overpolicing. "Being safe from police violence and abuse of that power is also a thing I think we need to be concerned about as city leaders," Hammon said. "If you're against this system, you're against safety, and that kind of a false equivalency that was, I think, part of the conversation yesterday, or that’s where it turned to." The Oklahoma City Police Department said there is no set date for this to be implemented, but they hope to have it going by next school year. Top Headlines Nex Benedict Autopsy: Oklahoma ME releases full report on death Oklahoma could see snow amid colder, mixed showers on Wednesday A single ticket matched all the numbers needed to win the Mega Millions jackpot Enid city commissioner answers questions on white nationalist ties Is seeing the solar eclipse's path of totality worth the trip? Baltimore bridge collapse: Minute-by-minute breakdown
A new surveillance system in schools could help Oklahoma City police respond to an active threat quickly.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
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OKC City Council approved $90,000 in increased funding to bring real-time technology to schools. A contract with a company called Fusus would allow the Oklahoma City Police Department to have easier access to school security cameras.
"What are the mechanisms to ensure that those policies are being followed? How do we know the people who have access to those feeds are only accessing it in particular instances that they're saying they need it for?" said Councilmember JoBeth Hammon, who represents Ward 6.
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley said he wanted to stress the technology isn't surveillance in school systems, but it is used to get information in real-time in case of an emergency.
“It's not surveillance. There are very strict guidelines for us to be able to access those cameras," Gourley said. "First of all, this is not the cameras in schools. They're already there. We have access to those cameras now in the event of an emergency. It's just a delayed process that we have to go through to get that information if something happens in a school."
Gourley advocated for the funds, saying this is a simple way to protect schools in case of an emergency. He also said that some districts have been asking for this layer of protection.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
"One of the things that came out of the Uvalde after action report was that access to cameras in a critical incident are important. It allows officers to get eyes on the situation and know where the problem is, so when they go in there, they are prepared for that," Gourley said.
While Hammon said she agrees children need to be protected in schools, she said she worries this could be a breach of privacy and worries about overpolicing.
"Being safe from police violence and abuse of that power is also a thing I think we need to be concerned about as city leaders," Hammon said. "If you're against this system, you're against safety, and that kind of a false equivalency that was, I think, part of the conversation yesterday, or that’s where it turned to."
The Oklahoma City Police Department said there is no set date for this to be implemented, but they hope to have it going by next school year.
Top Headlines
- Nex Benedict Autopsy: Oklahoma ME releases full report on death
- Oklahoma could see snow amid colder, mixed showers on Wednesday
- A single ticket matched all the numbers needed to win the Mega Millions jackpot
- Enid city commissioner answers questions on white nationalist ties
- Is seeing the solar eclipse's path of totality worth the trip?
- Baltimore bridge collapse: Minute-by-minute breakdown
