The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

The news site of Santa Barbara City College.

The Channels

Librarians look at new watch cams

The recent report that a laptop may have been stolen from the Luria Library has led the library to explore the possibility of updating their surveillance cameras-none of which record data.

“We’re getting a bid right now for cameras that do record,” Library Director Kenley Neufeld said. The bid could come in as early as this week.

The report, filed on March 13, by City College student Edward Wilmoth to the Campus Security Office, involves the possible theft of a HP silver laptop from the bottom floor of Luria Library. Wilmoth explained that he took a five-minute break outside, leaving his computer running, and when he returned his laptop was gone.

“I wouldn’t just leave my stuff, so I don’t depend on the cameras,” City College psychology student Chloe Euse said.

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Wilmoth later told Channels staff that when he asked library staff and security officers to look back at surveillance tapes, he was told that the cameras “don’t even work.”

Neufeld dismissed this, by saying that the cameras are fully functional, they project in real time, but the 20-year-old equipment do not have a record function.

“It was the top of the line equipment for cameras back then,” Security Supervisor Erik Fricke said.

A station has also been set up so that library staff can oversee operations, but that post is often unmanned. The new equipment would not man that station, but it would give staff the possibility of looking back at a weeks worth of data, Neufeld said.

“I think the use of the (existing) cameras help students from stealing,” Euse said.

However, Neufeld did offer skepticism to the new cameras.

“It won’t be a deterrent, any more than it is today,” Neufeld said. “It didn’t stop other thefts from occurring before.”

Funds for the new cameras will be available through the Library’s current budget, Neufeld confirmed.

“I definitely think they should be recording,” City College philosophy student Brendan Keane said.

The library is the only building on campus that uses this type of equipment, Fricke said.

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