New technology updates improve school security

Walking into the security office at Wenatchee High School there is a jaw dropping sight of 100 inches of computer monitors displaying an array of the 75 cameras dispersed around the confines of WHS. Scenes switch every few seconds as the viewer scans pictures of the front parking lot, the cafeteria, and the gym.

This fall the Wenatchee School District made several updates to improve security at WHS by adding new monitors, cameras and automatically locking double doors.

Don Durden and Janine Owyen are two safety and security officers who help keep WHS safe. A key priority with safety is making sure equipment is up to date.

“We have done a pretty good job of staying on top of the newest updates and ways to make Wenatchee High School a safe place to be,” Safety and Security Officer Don Durden said. “Within the last two years we’ve added 40 cameras and hope to add more over the Winter Break.”

With the addition of the new cameras, incidents of stealing have dropped immensely and thieves have been easier to catch, Durden said.

“Last year we had a student who had $700 stolen from them and if it wasn’t for the cameras we wouldn’t have caught the thief,” Durden said. “We also had an incident last year where two people prowled their way into cars in the parking lot. As soon as we saw this we called the police. When they showed up the people were still in a car and were arrested at gunpoint. You’d be surprised to see some of the things that go on when people don’t think they’re being watched.”

The addition of new monitors has been a crucial update, Owyen said. Before, security used 24-inch monitors to view camera activity but now can see more clearly with the addition of two 50-inch screens, she said.

“Before we could only view four feeds at a time but now we can view as much as 20,” Owyen said. “It’s made a world of difference.”

Another key addition has been the double doors around the building. “The doors are in case of a lockdown. We don’t ever intend on having to use them but the goal is to make this school as safe as it can be,” Durden said.

The Director of Safety and Security, Adam Bergstrom, said the cost for all the updates was approximately $75,000. The new doors were about $55,000 and an additional $15,000 to $20,000 was spent on the new computer monitors and additional cameras.

With all of the new additions and updates Durden expects to be more prepared in case of emergency. “The basic purpose of being here is to keep the students and faculty safe, simple as that,” Durden said.