Flock Camera Technology at Dothan City Schools Increases Safety on School Campuses

DOTHAN, Ala. – The administration at Dothan City Schools and the Dothan City Schools Board of Education continuously invest in resources to maintain safety at schools across the district. Pinpointing dangers early allows DCS safety managers to preemptively act against any potential threats.

Flock Safety LPR video technology will soon be installed on school campuses across the district. These safety cameras are able to scan and read license plates on vehicles that come onto school campuses. Using Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR), the real-time information is useful in a number of ways. One benefit is identifying suspects and potential sex offenders by providing valuable information to the school district regarding potential threats long before problems arise.

Steve Parrish, Dothan City Schools’ District Safety Coordinator, said the cameras will help the school district keep students and staff safe.

“This solution allows us to manually input information to make it more ‘safety-specific’ to our district,” Parrish stated.

For instance, the technology has the ability to send alerts to DCS SROs when stolen cars or wanted suspects come on campus.  The technology also maintains a database of vehicle information while supplying administrators with live and recorded video. 

“Safety and security are paramount at Dothan City Schools,” Dr. Dennis Coe, Superintendent of Dothan City Schools, said. “This technology will help us pinpoint possible security risks instantaneously, alert proper authorities when cameras perceive a threat, and potentially thwart dangerous activity on our campuses. We appreciate the Board of Education for approving the technology that will no doubt lead to a safer learning environment for our students and staff.”

The total cost of the contract is around $98,000 including installation and equipment. The funding is provided by state Advancement and Technology Funds designated for school safety. The Dothan City Schools Board of Education approved the project at its December meeting.

Parrish says the district hopes to have the flock cameras installed at district schools in early 2025.

 

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