School board approves new AI-enhanced surveillance system at Newport-Mesa Unified campuses

A new AI-enhanced surveillance system approved by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday could be installed and keeping an eye on all of the district’s schools as soon as February.

Trustees voted to award the $5,221,041 contract to Everon LLC, formerly known as ADT Commercial, according to Lance Bidnick, the district’s director of maintenance and operations.

The security upgrades feature automated cameras and software that can spot intruders after hours, listen for gunshots or monitor for signs of other emergencies, Bidnick said. Those can then automatically send notifications to police, fire and school authorities that include an image or video clip of what triggered the bulletin.

The system can also monitor the flow of student traffic and bring added security to remote areas of campus, Bidnick said. And it incorporates license plate reader technology that can detect suspicious vehicles.

“I think a lot of parents can take a deep breath knowing this will be there,” school board President Carol Crane said.

Bidnick noted the system is “not foolproof, and that “there’s still a human component that’s going to be needed for security.” But it will make the process of reviewing footage faster and easier for staff by automatically flagging key moments in one recording, and then identifying potentially related material from other cameras.

Crane asked how the district will be able to safeguard the privacy of families and staff. Bidnick noted the security software NMUSD is purchasing can automatically mask the faces of people in recordings. He also explained it will largely be up to district authorities to ensure that those who need to access the footage are the only ones who can.

Bidnick said the district will need to “keep tight control on our policy and making sure we limit who has the ability to share that footage.”

Only district staff at their headquarters in Costa Mesa would have the ability to share footage from the database, Bidnick said. Principals at each school will be able to view recordings but won’t have access to distribute them.

The district plans to store footage for up to 30 days. Any clips or images officials might need to hold onto for longer than that can be archived and reviewed indefinitely, Bidnick said.

The installation of the new surveillance system will not impact instruction, Bidnick said. Over the next 45 days, crews will inspect each campus to identify the best positions for cameras and then set up the equipment after hours and on weekends. Meanwhile, servers and other related hardware will be stored and maintained at NMUSD’s offices.