Audio for School Buses and other Environments

With national concerns around school safety at an all-time high, it is imperative for administrators to take proactive steps towards enhancing security for students, in every facet of their educational environment.

While many school security programs focus efforts on securing the physical campus, one often overlooked area of school security is transportation, specifically school buses, which many students use daily for their commute to and from school. A simple method to enhance incident detection is to implement a complete surveillance solution that leverages both audio capture and video monitoring.

Why School Buses Benefit from Audio

It’s an unfortunate fact that school buses are often a prime location for misbehavior, bullying, and altercations among students. While video surveillance captures the physical actions of aggressive behavior, it often misses critical information like the instigating event that spurred the actions captured on camera. What’s more, the presence of verbal abuse or bullying without physical contact is easily missed with video alone. The addition of audio security solutions, like security microphones, not only provides insight into situations, but also serves as an effective way to deter and resolve conflicts and accusations. 

When students know that both audio and video surveillance is taking place, they are more likely to critically think about their actions, whether physical or verbal. Utilizing audio security devices—such as Louroe Electronics’ Verifact® K on a school bus or an ASK-4® 108 multi-zone audio monitoring system in a school facility hallway—can aid in both prevention and intervention. 

Even with preventative measures, verbal and physical aggression may still occur. In the event of an incident, video can provide visuals from the scene while the addition of audio allows administrators to understand the events that unfolded prior to the situation. With the information provided by a combination of audio and video recordings, school administrators have a clear record of the events that transpired, allowing conflicts to be resolved in a streamlined manner, further protecting students from verbal and physical abuse.