Cerritos : ABC School Buses Will Get Cameras to Deter Vandalism
The ABC Unified School District will install video cameras on school buses to deter vandalism and fighting.
Board members voted 4 to 2 Tuesday to approve the measure. Trustees David Montgomery and Sally Morales Havice were opposed, and Cecy Groom was absent.
“I thought it was kind of like Big Brother watching you. Where do we stop? Do we put them in the hallways, because lockers get vandalized too. It’s a never-ending thing,” Montgomery said.
The video cameras will be installed on most large buses carrying 78 to 97 students. The estimated cost is $4,352. The district spends $5,000 a year repairing damage, including torn seats and scratched windows, inside school buses.
If the program is successful, officials said the cameras will be installed in smaller buses.
School officials said the cameras will enable bus drivers to concentrate on the road by discouraging students from littering, tearing seats, tagging and fighting. The videotapes also will make it easier to discipline students and hold parents accountable for damages, officials said.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
