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Plainfield police, schools upgrade
surveillance
CATHERINE ANN VELASCO
Herald
News
Tuesday April 23, 2007
PLAINFIELD -- If a tragedy like Columbine or Virginia Tech would
happen at Plainfield high schools next fall, police officers will
be able to see what is happening without leaving their squad cars.
Via their laptops, police officers will have access to the schools'
surveillance cameras.
"I think school security has come along way in the past six
to 10 years and systems that we are installing will afford administration
and police officers to view different sections of the building from
their computer monitors," said Superintendent John Harper.
"Whether the monitor is in their office or whether the monitor
is off-site ... we can add a layer of protection to our students
that we have not necessarily provided in the past.
"God forbid a situation occurs in the building that requires
the police," Harper said. "We want them to get the complete
picture."
Plainfield Police Department received a $442,355 Community Oriented
Policing Services Secure Our Schools grant from the U.S. Department
of Justice.
The grant requires the school district to match monies for the
program. The district has set aside $600,000 for the new security
systems that will be paid from interest earned from district construction
funds.
Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett said a committee consisting
of school district staff and officers from both Joliet and Plainfield
police departments were working to together to choose a security
system that will work with the current technology.
Plainfield South High School is located in Joliet and Plainfield
North High School, Plainfield High School-Central Campus and Plainfield
Academy, the district's alternative school, is located in the village.
The district is working with the police departments to determine
where the cameras will go, but more than likely cameras will be
placed in the cafeteria and certain hallways, Harper said.
The grant is also paying for Officer Steve Shervino who has been
assigned as the liaison officer at Plainfield Academy, the district's
alternative school.
Currently, all three high schools have liaison officers.
With other funds, the district is also installing swipe card entrances
at the gym doors at all of its elementary and middle schools, Harper
said.
Harper said lunch supervisors, physical education teachers, coaches
and administrators will be given swipe cards.
"We have teachers block the door or do something to keep it
ajar so kids can get access to the building," Harper said.
"By installing swipe cards we can better secure our elementary
and middle schools."
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