Architect Stephen Springs Suggests Re-Evaluating Your Video Surveillance

The proliferation of video doorbells such as Amazon Ring and Google Nest — devices designed to protect homeowners from porch bandits — have helped normalize video surveillance in many public spaces. Think about it: At any given time, anyone will likely be within eyeshot of a camera, which often is diminutive or even hidden. 

That doesn’t mean it’s now okay to place security cameras in recreation center and fitness facility locker rooms. It does, however, reinforce the general consensus about public acceptance of video surveillance. 

As a new year gets underway, it is a good time to consider revisiting your facility’s strategies regarding this critical component of management and operations. For example, there might be additional spaces throughout the building in which additional (or more effective) security cameras would be beneficial — especially entryways, corridors, frequently trafficked areas and spaces with consistent staff-patron interaction. 

This type of evaluation is particularly valuable when planning a new recreation center or renovating an existing one. It’s much easier to run the necessary electrical conduit to power cameras now, even if the strategic plan calls for more cameras than the budget currently allows. Adding more conduit on an as-needed basis when the facility is up and running can be much more complicated and intrusive. 

The most cost-effective cameras are “POE” (power-over-ethernet) and operate by receiving power and transmitting data through a single Ethernet cable. Other cameras, such as those with “PTZ” (pan-tilt-zoom) capabilities, may need additional power run to their locations to enable those proficiencies. Just about all video technology these days boasts greater capabilities and lower price tags than five years ago. 

For public recreation centers, in particular, video surveillance policies and procedures are typically already in place by the governing entity, with images and data stored in the cloud for a predetermined length of time. At Brinkley Sargent Wiginton, when working on new builds and renovations, we either partner with the client’s in-house IT team or bring in an outside security consultant. We also always discuss approaches to surveillance with clients and — recognizing that some have adopted policies regarding where facility operators can and cannot place such devices — influence placement considerations. 

Locker rooms and beyond 

It’s important to remember that, generally speaking, no employee will be sitting at a desk monitoring multiple screens projecting images from cameras positioned throughout the facility. That may happen in movies but not so much in the real world. Rather, the devices are continuously recording so they can be referenced in the event of an incident. They are intended to help identify perpetrators, timestamp events and sometimes prove illicit behavior. 

Indeed, anything you’re recording via video surveillance can protect you as a recreation center operator — along with your staff and patrons. But it also can implicate your employees in matters of their misbehavior or inattentiveness.

One unusual situation involving a municipality our firm worked with on a new public recreation center offers an example of ways in which potentially controversial placement of security cameras can also prove beneficial. The operator of this particular facility, which contained cabana-style rooms designed for privacy in a family changing space, also included bathroom vanities in a common area — which is where management wanted to mount security cameras. That’s a tough call, but something the client still wanted. As things turned out, footage from those cameras helped uncover false allegations a patron made when accusing another family-changing-area user of nefarious behavior. 

Less intrusive cameras, typically positioned in ceilings above locker-room doors, monitor who enters and exits those spaces and when — which can also be helpful when validating and invalidating claims made by other patrons or staff members. 

Re-evaluation questions

When evaluating (or re-evaluating) your facility’s overall video surveillance, be prepared to answer such basic yet critical questions as: 

• What is the primary purpose of security cameras inside the facility (deterrence, evidence gathering, monitoring of specific activities)? 

• Do you want the cameras to be able to identify faces and vehicles or simply monitor and capture behavior? 

• How long should recorded data be stored? 

Answers to those questions and others will help determine the ideal camera equipment, locations, mounting heights, resolution and more when adjusting your security camera strategy. 

Additionally, it’s a good idea to take inventory of security camera usage and placement throughout the entire facility. Installing them at all exterior entrances and everywhere money is exchanged is a no-brainer, but what about gymnasiums, natatoriums, fitness spaces, weight rooms, childcare areas and the parking lot? Are there enough (or too many) cameras positioned in those areas? And do they offer the best coverage? For example, a wide-angle lens could work well for observing large open spaces, but prove less effective at, say, identifying faces. And should cameras in certain locations be remounted at different heights or spots? 

Cameras positioned in more isolated areas such as back doors, stairwells and other spaces that are not consistently accessed might only need to be motion- or sound-activated, which allows them to work like security lights. 

It’s important to not just discuss surveillance decisions during the planning and design phases of a new or renovated facility; doing so also can be a good exercise to conduct periodically as situations warrant. 

As facility security expectations continue to grow, it’s good to know there are options to make your facility safer for everyone.