'I don't want the police involved in my kids' education': Fight brews over surveillance of students
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/13/business/i-dont-want-police-involved-my-kids-education-fight-brews-over-video-surveillance-students-western-mass/
I dont want the police involved in my kids education: A fight brews over video surveillance of students in Western Mass.
The deal came together in April with little debate, as Springfields mayor cast the tie-breaking vote to provide police increased access to school surveillance cameras.
Now, the Springfield School Committees decision which gave police real-time access to internal and external school video starting last month is facing pushback from privacy advocates and angry parents, whose faith in law enforcement has been eroded by a history of brutality and corruption.
The fight in Springfield, the fourth-largest city in New England, is part of a broader debate, playing out from London to Wisconsin, over the use of increasingly sophisticated surveillance technology to ensure public safety. The battle is heightened by racial tensions sparked by the police killing of George Floyd.
It also comes as the concept of surveilling schoolchildren is debated, with researchers and digital privacy experts saying it affects the mental health of students, fuels the school-to-prison pipeline, and is less effective in stopping school violence than counseling and other social supports.