Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Dec. 1, 1994, edition 1 / Page 18
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STUDENTS. OFFICIALS AGREE: On-Bus Cameras Make A Difference BY SUSAN USIIKR How would you behave if you knew a hidden video camera might be recording your every word and action? "Better," says George Brown, di rector of transportation for the Brunswick County Schoois. "Our kids arc 50 percent better behaved this year than last year." Cameras are making the differ ence, with the county's schools re porting fewer behavior problems on buses and reduced vandalism. A safety grant received by the school system last year helped pro vide funds to purchase three minia ture video cameras and 136 mount ing boxes ? one per county school bus. The video cameras arc not as signed to particular units, but are moved from school to school and bus to bus as needed, "wherever we have a problem," says Brown. "If we told drivers or the school what buses they're on, it would de feat the purpose. "We're trying to make is as com fortable as possible for everyone. We're not trying to trap anybody," says Brown. "We're trying to cut down on vandalism and make the buses a little more pleasant for everybody." Information from the film helps staff maintain student discipline, identify sresr. in which students need interpersonal skills training, and help drivers improve their stu dent management skills. Usually rotated at random, the cameras are assigned to trouble spots as needed. A garage mechanic may notice vandalism or evidence of other problems when they service a hus. A school may request a camera on a particular bus. usually after a driver submits a conduct form. Parents also call Brown's office to report problems on their child's bus. .."Ti ...-mi i. . .. ? r I tll.ll Wl I! II1IIKII d NfJClllll ic quest, but we won't tell them what day," says Brown. All the driver and passengers see >s the fixed-position "black box" mounted high at the front of the bus. ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL Lamonica Hill catches a nap in her seat near the front of the bus, STAfF mOTOS BY SUSAN USM{? ON BUS NO. 132 (above) and 135 other buses countywide, the possibility of a camera catching them in the act is helping keep a check on students' school bus behavior ; but doesn 7 daunt the most recalci trant. When the driver starts the bus. a red light comes on indicating the camera is in operation ? even if the camera isn't in the box that particular day. Not all students are convinced a camera is or ever will be inside the box on their bus, says Germael Brown, but most aren't willing to < * ??- -LI ~ ItlM llll gdllll/IC. Henry Randolph, who drives Bus No. 132 for Shallotte Middle School, says that having the camera box on board "makes a marked dif ference" in students' behavior, at least those who otherwise think they could get away with something. Cutting the number of potential troublemakers helps him focus on his main responsibility ? watching the road and getting his passengers to and from school safely. "They'll be jumping over the seats and stuff, but when he gets on the bus and cuts on the camera they settle down." says rider Nicole Cobb. Randolph's route winds through the Shallotte Point community, with ridership of 40 to 45 students ir. the morning and an afternoon load ap proaching the 60-passcnger capacity. This is Randolph's sixth year dri ving and his fourth for the middlc school, where he also works as a teacher assistant. His tone with students is calm and friendly, but commands respect. A student whose assigned seat was oc cupied by a visitor one recent morn ing asked first before taking another scat. "They know I'm particular about where thev sit."* their driver said. Most students on Bus No. 132 be mnct rnyp olph. but not every one contains their pent-up energy and cxcitemcnt. "You can tell when it's Monday and when it's Friday." he says. Students arc at their loudest, and often their rowdiest, on the eve of a holiday break and on the way home from Wednesday half-days. Randolph appreciates the on board camera, but agrees with Cobb's assessment that "some of them still act bad." "The flagrant violators just don't care." says Randolph "They're not going to behave, even if their par ents were riding the bus every day." In his first year at Shallotte Mid dle. Assistant Principal Robert Grimes can't compare this school term to last, but is pleased with re sults of the on-bus camera program so far. "We're having good success with it." he says. "It's amazing they arc as well behaved as thev arc " On some buses where youngsters DRIVER HENRY RANDOLPH shuts out most noise, relying mainly on his wide -angle mirror to monitor student behavior. The camera is above his head on the right. have doubled a camera exists. Cirimes said showing students still shots from the video has been effec tive in changing their minds. "It gets everything." he says. Film from the three cameras is viewed daily by Brown and/or one or two other staff members, then segments or clips are shared with appropriate pcrr-ttr.rsc! and wi'.h par ents. "Wc don't show parents the en tire film, just the part involving their child." said Brown. "A lot of days when I get here be fore 6 a.m. I can run through a cou ple of hours of film before the tele phone starts ringing and the staff comes in. It's extra work, but it's worth it. It's saving us some work and some money. It's been very suc cessful." Last year, before the cameras were installed, it cost Brunswick County Schools S7.(NN) to repair or replace cut scat covers "We'd have students to sit there and whittle on a seat or lake a pcncil and jab it." said Brown. Brown likens the cameras to has ? ing a sccurilv guard on board, a neu tral third party that tells not just one. but all sides of a siory 'Hial's something most students find reassuring "Having the camera makes me feel better." says fifth grader Jennifer Moonev on Bus No. 132. "You know that if Ihey view the film they'll know what was going on and who did it." In some school systems using the on-bus cameras, drivers have aim plained, aware that the camera not only catchcs their riders "in the act" of disobeying, but can also rccord any problems a driver might be hav '??'!%?# uppropriu'c Sdn^Ud^c or student management. Hut Bruns wick County drivers appear to ap predate the cameras' help "We've not had a single driver to complain, at least not yet." says Brown. CAR STEREO ?CLARION ?PPI ?KENWOOD ?PIONEER -SONY ?KICKER CUSTOM INSTALLATION VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEMS IRR Mon.-Frl. 10-6; Sal. WE Call First ? 754-9791 a. 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1994, edition 1
18
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