Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
After a 60-day free trial of two security cameras, Colfax High School has decided to buy two of them, one with stronger lenses which will be moved to a different location.
In February, A-Tec of Spokane installed two four-way cameras at the school. One was put in the main foyer with the other outside, providing views of the parking lot and north doors.
Supt. Michael Morgan decided to buy the one installed outside to make it permanent. In addition, the second camera will be taken out of the school foyer, while another is installed inside the gym. The $4,649 cost came out of the district’s capital projects fund.
The camera inside the gym will provide a view of the locker room doors. As required by law, stickers will be put on the gymnasium doors to indicate to the public that the facility is monitored by a camera.
Morgan told the school board April 23 that the camera in the foyer proved not as important as having a camera in view of locker room doors, inside which have occurred a series of theft incidents. The cameras will provide a view of who is going in and out of the locker rooms.
“I don’t know that our intention was ever to leave a camera in the foyer,” said Morgan.
Colfax High Principal Gary Weitz said there have been five reported thefts and incidents of vandalism at the school this year.
“My experience here and elsewhere is that generally 100 percent of thefts are from one or two kids,” said Weitz. He said there are certainly more incidents than those reported.
“But we haven’t had a rash of them,” Weitz said.
Morgan indicated that the cameras are to be a deterrent.
“For me, it was getting something in there that would help in trying to protect kids’ property,” he said.
As thefts have occurred over the years, Morgan, Weitz and others’ have reminded kids to use the locks provided to them.
But most don’t.
“There’s just a lot of trust in our school,” said Morgan. “I bet we have five or six kids that put locks on their lockers.
As these reminder efforts have failed, Morgan looked to other options.
“How do you teach a kid to have less trust in people?” he asked. “But they need to have less trust.”
Weitz indicated that the school’s reminders about locks are recurring.
“Whether one-on-one or comprehensive, we do it a lot,” he said.
Student body president Brandon Soncarty noted the reminders while questioning the purchase of the cameras.
“I’m a little surprised,” he said. “I think they could use the money to pay teachers more.”
“To me we are providing (security) by providing the locks,” said Morgan. “It becomes a frustration of management in saying the same things to parents. I wish your child would not leave money, their wallet or valuables in their lockers.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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