Posted by Bystander, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 18, 2006 at 10:00 am

This sounds like a very sensible suggestion to me, much better than temporarily having a security guard going from campus to campus as a deterrant. Even if all the cameras weren't on at the same time, the perpetrators wouldn't know which were on and which were not so that would probably deter all but the most ardent.

Another suggestion might be the mosquito. This is a device which emits a high frequency buzz that annoys teenagers to the extent they do not wish to be anywhere near it. The frequency is inaudible to adults and and not annoying to children. It was designed to stop teenagers hanging out outside convenience stores and has been very succesful in England. I have seen it discussed on the Discovery Channel and also it was mentioned in the latest Paly Camponile I saw, although there it was talking about how it is being used as a cell phone ring tone which teens could hear and adults couldn't.

Posted by student, a member of the Gunn High School community, on Oct 18, 2006 at 5:03 pm

Periwinkle- I agree. I am a student at Gunn and have suffered having my own personal property (such as my bike) being vandalized/stolen.

Bystander- Quite frankly, why install devices that have us become more annoyed with school than we already are? :-D I am just joking. Actually though, I think there may be an issue with these mosquito devices because many students have legitimite reasons for being on campus after hours: sports, student government, dances, set/clean up, plays, (at gunn- spagenberg theatre events) rehearsals. Some of which can go on until 10:30 or 11 PM.

Posted by junya, a resident of the Ventura neighborhood, on Nov 3, 2006 at 1:25 am

You're joking - right?

I'm assuming the lack of responses to this proposal indicates other folks didn't take it seriously. But, just in case I'm wrong, let's squash this brain virus before it spreads.

"One of the maddening things is that some of the theft and vandalism is repeated, with the same room(s), or same items getting stolen, or broken, over and over - in spite of attempts to keep them safe. School administrative and teaching staff are helpless in the face of this kind of thing."

So, exactly how do you envision surveillance cameras magically succeeding where other security mechanisms have failed?

Next time you're waiting on line in your local bank, keep yourself busy by counting the surveillance cameras. Yet banks here in Palo Alto, as everywhere else, are still getting robbed. Open your eyes: police and private surveillance cameras are all around you - with no effect on crime.

"Bathrooms are often marked up..."

And so? You want surveillance cameras in the school BATHROOMS? And who's the lucky voyeuristic pedophile who gets the job of electronically peeking in the pants of our kids? Let's be fair and also publicly post the URLs of the websites the voyeur will upload the video to, so all pedophiles will have an equal opportunity to get kinky with our kiddies.

"Further, PAUSD campuses are NOT safe in the evening. Building exteriors are poorly lit."

Umm..then how about lighting them??

"It's a no-brainer."

Clearly - 100% brain-free.