With all the changes to the school in the past year, there has been yet another addition to the campus of Diamond Bar High School—security cameras.

Prior to the installment of the security cameras, one of the most obvious safety measures at DBHS was the security guards at the school’s entrances.

Although the guards still monitor the campus’ gates, the  cameras will allow  the administration  to review certain situations and identify unauthorized visitors.  

“The cameras are placed so that we could review possible footage if we need to identify somebody or figure out what happened in particular instances that may take place…,” interim Assistant Principal Matt Brummett said.

The cameras will  not be monitored 24/7 but will record footage that allows administrators to study incidents around campus after the fact.

The cameras serve as an extra set of eyes to potential events and could also be used for detecting students who are smoking, vaping or doing other illegal actions.

Brummett said that the cameras are still being calibrated and not completely operational, as  their performance is still being assessed.

“The  district consulted with a number of law enforcement agencies to make sure the cameras are properly placed to keep the exterior places of our campus safe,” Brummett said.

The school and district wanted to make sure that the cameras are in optimal places to keep the campus as safe as possible. There will be about 200 cameras spread across campus, mostly located  outside. However, there are some cases where the cameras are placed inside buildings, such as rooms with computers and other technology.

“This is an organic process where they would keep determining where they would like to keep an eye on,” Brummett said.

Despite the addition of the cameras, he said that the most significant changes are due to the physical changes of school namely Downtown DB.

A security guard patrols near the portables, and a GLC also supervises them during breaks. Brummett said that he believes that GLCs and the staff are one of the best security measures on campus.

“We have a fantastic team of GLCs who do a really nice job of being the eyes and ears of our campus,” he said.

Brummett said that the GLCs’ office locations have all been strategic moved for campus safety and that campus  security is always subject to change.

“The world evolves, so does our safety plans,” he said.

Security cameras can be seen in the hallways and on exterior walls on campus.