Nearly all Salinas elementary schools have surveillance cameras

There are surveillance cameras on nearly every Salinas City Elementary School District campus. Administrators say they are having a big impact.

Administrators say the cameras have captured criminals in the act and stopped trouble, from bullying to graffiti, before it happens.

Boronda Meadows Elementary School has 13 virtual eyes covering its grounds. They’ve only had surveillance for a few months.

“Security is a living thing; you’re never fully secure,” said Jerry Stratton, the district’s assistant superintendent.

With 13 schools and one more set to open in August, Stratton said he’s making sure all his campuses are covered.

“Right now we have 159 cameras installed. Our target is 197,” Stratton said.

One of the big advantages to having cameras is being able to capture what happens at school in real time or play back a certain time from a different day. Another advantage, Stratton said, is having them act as a deterrent to turn potential criminals away.

Those who don’t run away can end up caught red-handed.

At one of the schools, a suspect covers his face and tries to shoot out the camera with a BB gun. The camera stayed intact.

“We got cameras that are far greater where we can zoom in from 50 or 100 feet away and read license plates,” Stratton said.

At another school, some kids try to throw a trash can at the camera, then one of them smashes a light.

Stratton said Salinas police eventually made an arrest.

“They know we have cameras, they know we’re watching all the time making sure our campus is safe,” said Susana Mancera Juarez, the principal at Boronda Meadows.

The cameras are no secret.

“We’re very upfront with our cameras, we’re not spying on anyone, we don’t have cameras in restrooms, we don’t have cameras in classrooms,” Stratton said.

The money to purchase the cameras for the elementary schools came from a federal grant that pays the school district $200,000, which it has to match with money from its general fund.

Stratton said the Salinas Union High School District also has cameras.