SARPY COUNTY, Neb. (KMTV) — Having cameras in schools is nothing new, but not school cameras at Papillion La Vista schools and Bellevue Public Schools can be accessed by law enforcement at certain times.
"Security cameras have been in our secondary buildings for years and years and years, so that hasn't changed what we are doing as a school district, as far as having cameras and having them accessible," Annette Eyman, director of communications, Papillion La Vista Community Schools said.
The Papillion La Vista School Board approved for Sarpy County law enforcement to have access to school cameras, effective immediately.
"The whole purpose of this is to do absolutely everything that we can do as a school district in partnership with the law enforcement agencies to make sure that we are taking every step possible to keep our students and staff safe at all times," Eyman said.
Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis said they will only look at the camera's feed in event of an emergency.
It allows law enforcement to be better equipped to enter an active shooter situation.
"If you are the first responder or the first cruiser coming in and you are able to punch up that school and even the classroom to find out how many assailants there are, exactly where in the school or where in the classroom this person is, how they might be armed. That's a big advantage for the first responder," Sheriff Davis said.
Technology has been a challenge, pairing school cameras with patrol camera systems.
"We are talking about five different school districts and five different camera systems and several different law enforcement agencies. And the goal is to make that all work eventually and I think it will but it is going to take some time," Davis said.
But it is all with school safety top of mind.
"We are going to do whatever we can to make it safer for the children, safer for the teachers and the officers that are responding," Davis said.
Sheriff Davis said that goal is to have all five Sarpy County School districts on board with allowing access.
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