Inside New Berlin

Maybe soon we will have camera's all over the streets and even have them aimed at our homes in the name of keeping us safe. Like I've said before we don't have to worry about someone coming over here and taking over our world and destroying our freedom, we got plenty of people living among us who are already doing the job.

It's disgusting. I'm amazed at the lack of an outcry. Perhaps when the cameras go up people will be upset but then I'm sure they will fade into the background and the cameras will just sit there invading these young American students world on a daily basis against their will.

What happened to our United States ? It's a sad day we live in.

"camera's all over the streets and even have them aimed at our homes"

Google Map where they photograph every house and street.

Would you prefer the schools hire full time security to monitor their entrances, exits, parking lots, and blind areas?  That cost would be outrageous.  The one time cost of cameras will do the same job for a relatively smaller and limited price.  It is not an infringement on students or their rights, it is a safety precaution.  The right that students have is a right to a safe and viable education.  Overwhelmingly schools utilize cameras across the country to supplement their ability to provide a safe place for students.  The arguments about lack of freedom are based on hyperbole and the assumption that the cameras are going to be accessed by anyone who wants to see them.  I am sure that only those people who have a vested interest will have access.  Is your faith in the school district so slighted that you think they are only doing this for the pleasure of tuning in for fun?

Where do you draw the line. How about camera's aimed at your house so the police don't have to drive around any more and waste all that time and money patrolling. In the name of safety of course. So what if every move you make in your yard is on candid camera. You will be safer at a reasonable price.

I don't think the schools have to put in cameras or hire full time security. There is not any uncontrolled violence  issue at the school. Do I think this technology will be misused eventually. Absolutely.

Am I living in the United States or did we get taken over by some foreign power in the last 8 years ?

I don't get how some people just love to give away all their freedom and independence so easily !  

As a teacher and a mother of a child at West, what upsets me even more than than the issue of civil liberties... is the plain fact that no cameras are being installed at the Eisenhower campus. Which begs the question, "What is the district's REAL reason for the cameras?"  other than to WASTE my tax dollars and behave like the very socialists they bemoan???

Cameras are expected to be installed at Eisenhower if all goes well at West.

You'd think New Berlin Public Schools would have a better use for $60,000 than to spend it on this high-tech. multi-camera surveillance system.

Oh, and the cameras were proposed for common areas at West--as well as entrance ways.

So, if students have a right to a "safe" education, why hasn't the district installed metal detactors in its schools? And why were some board members reluctant to spend funds to fix the existing safety and health hazards and to identify maintenance problem areas/needs?  

Apparently, the supporters of the camera surveillance system consider New Berlin (or parts of it) to be so crime-infested and dangerous or will soon be so, that they tout this extreme measure for its secondary school as a "safety precaution". Think many of them have had expensive camera surveillance systems installed at their New Berlin homes for safety and security? Nah. Evidently, they value THEIR privacy and/or prefer to spend THEIR money on other things. Guess they don't mind spending/wasting the taxpayer's money, though.            

I certainly hope some camera's will be trained on the principal's office. Often times this is where the most destructive criminal activity occurs. Shootings, thefts and vandalism often occur in the administrative offices. Sure it might be an invasion of the principals privacy but it would be in the name of safety. I'm sure he/she wouldn't mind the lack of privacy knowing their level of safety has been increased.

Linda, watch out about proposing metal detectors. If you're not careful it will be proposed at the next board meeting along with random drug testing for all the students who want to participate in extra curricular activities.

It sure would be nice if the district got back to educating the students rather than annoying them with all this nonsense.

They're not people, they're teenagers.

While I understand the issue of spending tax dollars can be frustrating and there is little chance that a 100% public approval will ever be seen in this regard, at the core of the issue is student safety.  I don't believe that anyone has claimed that there is higher crime in any particular area over another or one school needs it more than any other.  Do New Berlin schools have problems with violence or weapons?  Not that I have seen.  However, you could make the same claim in Brookfield, where they had to spend thousands upon thousands of taxpayer money after someone vandalized a football field last year.  Would the one time cost of a camera system that would identify the guilty party be worth it rather than having to ping the taxpayers each time something is vandalized?

(By the way, the comment about shootings occuring in administrative offices wasn't very funny...if you pay attention, principals are the most frequent victims of school shootings.  Most will tell you after the fact it's because they put themselves in harm's way to help save students.  Perhaps many principals would agree with cameras in their offices, although not for the tongue-in-cheek reasoning you imply.)

And in response to Mrs. Richter's question relating to metal detectors not being installed, please look to my first response.  Those require supervision and the schools would have to pay people to staff those devices.  I think that would cost the district a substantial amount of cash yearly, much more than cameras.

Didn't West get renovated recently and isn't Eisenhower being planned for renovation?  It seems silly to ask why West is getting them and Eisenhower isn't.  Why do it at Eisenhower only to tear them out when and if renovation occurs?  That, to me, would be wasteful.

Lastly, and I hope that people have bothered to read this far, the idea that this placing of cameras in public buildings is an infringement on civil liberties or freedom, please consider this:  Why would anyone not want this to occur?  It is going to ensure that students are behaving accordingly, that buildings are safe and secure from intruders, and that teachers within the buildings can focus on education without fear of the horrible things that, thank goodness, have not yet reared their head in New Berlin but have in far too many other places.  Who in the school should have anything to hide?  Shouldn't everyone there be doing what is asked/required of them?  Otherwise, that's a drain on the taxpayer and damaging to the kids.  And that would be the true crime.

So there is no confusion, I want to make it clear I'm not advocating that metal detectors be installed in New Berlin Schools.

I've brought up the subject of metal detectors because they were not mentioned during the Sept 8 Board meeting when the Web-based 36-40 camera surveillance system was being promoted as a "pro-active" safety, security measure for West, which seemed remarkable and odd.

What was NBPS's primary concern? Safety of students/faculty or protecting property and nabbing vandals, thieves and mischief makers?  

The cost for camera surveillance could balloon into a $120,000+ district expense if they are installed at Eisenhower, too.

I wonder how the School Board and Superintendent would justify training cameras on school common areas and exits & entrances-- but not the principal's office or in the District office?      

I was not saying anything tongue in cheek about problems occurring in the administrative offices. That was serious. That is where thefts and vandalism and physical attacks do occur. I'm glad you agree with me regarding that. That's why I'm saying I would hope they will have cameras trained on these offices. My point though is this. Even though it would possibly help solve future crimes I doubt if these employees would want to be on candid camera all the time.

Here is something else to think about. If you want to commit an act of vandalism it wouldn't be that hard to do things like mask your license plate on your car. Or alter it to read like another vehicle that looks like yours. Or wear clothes that look like something another student would wear. Relying on cameras is not a fool proof answer like people seem to believe.

I believe they caught the person responsible for the Brookfield football field incident and I'm pretty sure they did not have any video footage to help them along.

We don't have to live in the old Soviet style world to be relatively safe. I don't understand why people who live in this country would want to give up their ability to move around without being under surveillance unless it was crucially important.

It seems to me that a lot of United State's citizens have gotten very mushy about what rights they should have and they have given up those rights out of the fear that they will not be safe.

Face it, these cameras will not stop someone who really wants to do harm or damage. They are not making students safe. They might help identify someone who does something and is stupid enough to do it right in front of the camera without taking measures to damage the camera first or try to deceive the camera regarding who they are.

Eisenhower needs a lot of renovation work, over 40 million worth, but they don't have more than a couple a million per year to devote towards it. That is not why they are not getting cameras yet. I think it's just a money thing.

I certainly hope that whoever runs for School Board in the Spring is bright enough to point out these recent pork barrel spending sprees of the the new Superintendant and the current School Board.

As an American War Veteran I will have to say I am very willing to let cameras watch over me, and my family. I am willing to give up some of my civil liberties to safe guard myself and my kids.....

And like drug testing, if you are not doing anything wrong, then why worry about it......

Because in a free country you should not have to spend time proving you didn't do something unless someone has good evidence showing you did. You should be charged with a crime before you have to prove your innocence.

It shocks me what some US Citizen's find as acceptable. Growing up we felt sad for citizens of other countries that had to endure such treatment like NEWBERLINJAMES is talking about.  

Actually in a free society you shouldn't have to prove your innocence the accusers should have to prove your guilt. But in reality it often seems you have to prove your innocence.