Security camera proposal considered by UI administrators
Unlike other universities, security cameras cover only a fraction of the University of Idaho campus.
According to Matt Dorschel, executive director of Public Safety and Security, the only functioning security cameras on campus are in University Housing units.
“We have very little security camera coverage on our campus,” he said.
In an effort to increase coverage, Dorschel submitted a proposal to upper administrators to establish a security camera infrastructure on campus, adding 291 new cameras and funding a permanent operations center.
Matt Dorschel
Upper administrators rated the proposal as one of the highest priorities on a list of university budget proposals, said Ron Smith, vice president of finance and administration.
“It’s important that we have a safe campus,” Smith said. “I think it fits in with the president’s initiative of attracting and retaining students.”
The leadership team, which consists of deans, vice presidents and the provost, prioritized budget proposals in the case that additional money is available in the annual budget, he said.
Smith said UI would find out how much money it has to work with, after the legislative session concludes and after the State Board of Education (SBOE) sets UI’s tuition increase for the next academic year in April.
“When you put all those together, we will know how much money we have and if there are any discretionary dollars,” he said.
At this point, Smith said the leadership team would meet again to decide which budget proposals would receive funding.
With a low proposed tuition increase of 3.5 percent, if the SBOE approves the full increase, the leadership team would be able to fund one or two of the budget proposals, Smith said.
“We’ve got a lot of critical needs, but infinite needs and finite resources,” he said. “So not all of them will get funded.”
If funded, the proposal would install 291 security cameras, set up an operations center and create a new manager position to oversee the operations center. The operations center would allow security personnel to monitor the cameras at all times, Dorschel said.
The proposal would cost $305,308 in one-time costs and $250,000 in reoccurring costs to run the operations center.
Smith said the one-time costs for the security camera infrastructure are low compared to other capital projects, and the on-going costs are average compared to other proposals on the list.
At first, Smith said the on-going costs could be reduced to $120,000, but the cameras would be monitored a limited amount of time. He said eventually an annual cost of $250,000 would be needed.
“There may be some wiggle room in the middle, just to get it started,” he said.
Dorschel said it’s encouraging to see the upper administrators prioritizing security on campus and hopes this year’s budget will fund the proposal.
The perception of campus safety changed last year after the Idaho Legislature passed a bill allowing retired law enforcement officers and those with an enhanced concealed-carry permit to carry firearms on campus, Dorschel said.
“I think in general people support safety initiatives, it’s just a matter of resource prioritization,” he said.
Dorschel said security cameras not only deter crime and theft of university property, but also can provide critical information in emergency situations, such as a shooter on campus or a fire. Cameras also help with perceived security, making students, staff and faculty feel more assured that their campus is safe, he said.
Despite the limited resources, Dorschel said he is committed to supporting a security camera infrastructure if the funding does not come through this year.
“I will be the most vocal advocate for it,” Dorschel said. “If I don’t get funding this year, I’ll be asking again next year, and I’ll just keep asking.”
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]