‘Would be reassuring’: New Lewis and Clark security cameras could be ready in 2 months

SPOKANE, Wash. — During Wednesday night’s Spokane Public School’s board meeting, the board unanimously approved the addition of over 30 new security cameras in the parking lot at Lewis and Clark High School.

“We would be able to go back and view the incident, and we would be able to find facts about the challenge that was brought forward whether it was vandalism to a car or something along that line,” said Gregory Forsyth, Director of Capital Projects for SPS.

The new cameras will be monitored by school administrators, and the district says they hope these new cameras will bring an increased sense of security to campus.

They say student safety is a top priority. Students like Emily Olson say with their school being downtown, this new security addition helps them feel safer.

“For students to be able to feel safe when they come to school, and leave school just knowing they’ll be safe and if anything happens there’s gonna be that comfort there for them,” Olson, a Freshman at Lewis and Clark said.

Students aren’t just in school during the day,  some arrive before the sun rises, and some leave after the sun sets.

“It’s a busy place, and adding these will help in the safety and protection of our families,” said Forsyth. “We have four parking lots, and we’ll have 32 total cameras for those four car parking lots so you can figure about eight cameras per parking lot. And they’ll be positioned similarly as the lights, where the entrances and exits are,” Forsyth said.

Once installed, school administrators will monitor them, although it won’t be 24/7. Forsyth said the monitoring is more to react if anything suspicious does happen.

“They’re not monitored 100% of the time, they’re more reactionary to events than procedures to stop events. With this site, there’s been a little bit more of an uptick of activity, and we want to address that as best as we can.

Olson said she thinks the new addition is comforting.

“When I’d have practice, it would be dark, so lights and cameras would be reassuring, just being able to walk out here without feeling scared or nervous,” said Olson.

The new cameras should be installed and in use within the next two months.

READ: New security cameras approved for Lewis & Clark High School

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