Iowa District Wants to Link Security Cameras to Police

The Dubuque Community School District is looking to link the security cameras in its schools to the police headquarter stations as a safety measure.

• By Jessica Davis
• May 28, 2019

The Dubuque Community School District is looking to link the security cameras in its schools to the police headquarter stations as a safety measure. The goal is to limit the amount of time it gets for first responders to arrive on campus in an emergency.

According to Coby Culburtson, linking the district’s security cameras to police headquarters would allow officers to view footage from schools in real time.

“That in the event something would take place the emergency responders and law enforcement need to look at the cameras in our facilities that they should be able to do that in real time,” Culburtson said.

Currently, Dubuque law enforcement can only see pre-recorded security footage from schools. The district and the city are still working on the logistics of the collaboration.

“We really talked about some of the events that have taken place and how we can really capitalize on those seconds in an emergency crisis,” Culburtson said.

The district also plans to provide staff and faculty with a new safety measure this fall. Faculty and staff will be able to call emergency responders with the click of a button on a new safety app.

“We will provide staff in our schools with an app on their phone that will allow them to initiate an emergency call if there were an emergency situation,” said Mike Cyze, Director of School and Community Relations for Dubuque Community Schools.

There is not yet a set timeline for when the district will complete its security camera project.