Springfield School Committee Seeks Public Comment on Police Access to School Surveillance Cameras

The Springfield School Board is asking the public for comment on its approval to allow city police to request access to public school surveillance footage.

The district held a public hearing at DeBerry/Swan Elementary School Thursday night.

Springfield School Committee member Latonia Monroe Naylor said the 2021 agreement for the surveillance cameras expired in the summer. Before voting this January on whether to extend the permit, she wanted to hear people’s thoughts on the matter.

“We want to make sure that the new agreement properly reflects what’s going on, but also that it addresses the concerns,” Naylor said. — As some parents have asked: “What about their children’s privacy? How long does the police have access? Or do the police actually have access?”

Naylor said the agreement gives police access to the dashcam footage upon request.

Springfield Honors Academy student Devian Pagan said he was uncomfortable with police having that access.

“How can we trust the police department when we know they have attacked students in the past? How can we trust them when they are now subject to a federal executive order for excessive force?” The pagan said.

Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers attended the meeting and explained that police would only request such access in the event of an emergency.

“We monitor the cameras when there is a life-threatening event. We don’t care what you do at other times of the day,” Akers told the students in attendance at the comment session. “If there’s an active shooter in this school … and I heard one young woman say, ‘That’s not going to happen here.’ Oh, it could have happened here.”

Akers added that his grandchildren attend a public school in Springfield and he would not want them being followed.

“There’s no way I’m going to let anybody in my police station just turn on a camera so we can see what you’re doing for no reason,” Akers said.

Mayor Domenic Sarno, who also serves on the School Committee, said in a statement that “the collaboration made possible by this agreement has already prevented tragedies and protected our schools. It is important that we continue to adhere to it as we know it is a vital measure that can take minutes away from emergency response should any of our schools experience a threat or emergency.”

A second public consultation session will be held at Brightwood/Lincoln School on December 12.