CCTV Cameras Installed at KPU Surrey campus

Cameras part of ongoing safety and security efforts by KPU administration

KPU administration began the process of installing CCTV cameras in high traffic outdoor areas throughout the Surrey campus last month. According to an email sent out to students, the cameras will be placed on rooftops and canopies and will capture areas where there is “no reasonable expectation of privacy.”

Areas monitored by CCTV cameras will be marked by signage. KPU Vice President Finance and Administration Jon Harding says that the cameras are part of an ongoing initiative to increase safety and security on campus. Funding for the cameras was partially provided by the B.C. provincial government.

“CCTV cameras are one aspect that are designed to help deter incidents on the campus,” says Harding.

According to Harding, there was no particular triggering event on campus that spurred the investment in CCTV equipment.

The cameras were installed at the end of October. However, according to Harding, they will not be activated until administration is satisfied that the setup meets various requirements. These requirements include compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, Protection of Privacy Act, and KPU’s policies and procedures.

Harding says the cameras will be there to capture potential incidents on campus and will not be used for active surveillance.

As of yet, there is no timeframe for the installation of similar CCTV setups on other campuses. Harding says CCTV on the Langley, Cloverdale, and Richmond campuses are part of the institution’s five year financial plan and will be prioritized when funding becomes available.

Another aspect of the initiative will include the hiring of a Chief Safety Officer who will be responsible for re-evaluating the university’s security plan and taking further action accordingly.

“Safety and security is part and parcel to the overall education experience for students,” says Harding. “And it’s our judiciary duty to protect students, faculty, and staff.”

This announcement comes in the midst of an ongoing conversation about sexual assault on campuses across the province and beyond. Recent high profile incidents on college and university campuses in the Lower Mainland have highlighted a need to keep students safe.

KSA Women’s Representative Natasha Lopes says she is is pleased to see the university going forward with the installation as an effort to reduce the risk of sexual assault happening on campus.

“As the women’s representative, I am supportive of any efforts made to move towards a safer campus, and to install exterior cameras to increase safety and security for KPU students. It will help deter those who wish to harm from acting,” Lopes told The Runner in an email statement. “There are many students that have been the victim of theft, and this will help with that—especially having cameras in high-risk and low-visibility areas. “

Although the implementation of the CCTV cameras is a step towards addressing the concerns regarding assault and theft on campus, they are not of themselves seen as a solution.

”CCTV cameras will be able to capture what happens on campus, but my concerns fall around if a camera were to catch an instance of sexual assault or harassment and how that footage will be used,“ says Lopes.