The Great Neck schools accepted a $125,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York last week that will go toward the purchase and installation of more security cameras at the high schools and E.M. Baker School.
John Powell, the assistant superintendent for business, said the grant will purchase 99 Axis P3225-V Mk. II cameras – small, dome-shaped cameras that work day and night. They will supplement more than 700 security cameras across the district and replace older cameras.
“It’s going to be done this year,” Powell said of the installation.
The $125,000 goes toward not only the camera purchase, but licensing, cabling, installation, configuration and integrating the cameras into the current video system, Powell said.
There will be 50 new cameras for South High School, 47 for North High School and two for E.M. Baker School.
The grant was more than two years in the making, Powell said, as former Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel – Anthony D’Urso’s predecessor – had applied for the grant.
“It takes awhile to work its way through all of the channels,” Powell said.
Powell said that while the grant is not in response to a recent security breach at North High School, where a YouTuber was rebuffed by security guards but able to enter the building through a propped open rear door, the new cameras will further improve security at the schools.
“Our security apparatus did work that day other than the fact that somebody left the door open,” Powell said, “but this will further strengthen what we already have in place.”
