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Caddo Parish board approves new video-management system, citing student safety
Summary
The Caddo Parish School Board voted to award RFP0526 for a video-management system to Communications Technologies Inc., following testimony from the district security director about aging cameras, server failures and new cloud-based AI alerting that officials said will strengthen campus safety.
The Caddo Parish School Board voted April 21 to award a contract for a new districtwide video-management system, a move trustees said is intended to replace aging cameras and improve the district’s ability to store and analyze footage.
Board member Barry Rochelle moved to approve RFP0526, naming Communications Technologies Inc. as the recommended vendor. Director of Security Mr. Gibbs told trustees the district’s existing cameras and servers “have been here since the late eighties” and that older hardware has repeatedly failed. “This system will alert security and administration that someone should not be on campuses now on campus,” he said, describing cloud storage, server replacements and artificial-intelligence features the district plans to use.
Superintendent Burton said the upgrade would allow the district to retain more footage, modernize servers and add functions such as automated alerts when suspended or banned individuals appear on campus. Gibbs also said the system can upload photos of registered offenders for matching; he framed the upgrade as part of an effort to ‘‘seal the envelope’’ around school sites and reduce liability from gaps in footage.
Trustees debated the item during the meeting’s question-and-answer period; Rochelle asked staff to explain the procurement and implementation timeline and whether older cameras would be compatible with the new platform. Gibbs said the new platform is designed to be compatible with some existing cameras but that older models produce lower-quality images and may limit AI functionality. Trustees also noted supply-chain challenges for replacement parts.
A motion to end debate was called and carried; the board then voted to approve the contract. President Little said the item was off the consent agenda because a board member had a conflict of interest and would abstain from the vote. The board confirmed the electronic vote and the motion carried.
The superintendent and security staff did not provide a detailed dollar amount for the award during the meeting; officials said replacement will include both hardware and cloud services and will be implemented in phases across campuses. Trustees did not specify an implementation timeline beyond staff assurances about staged deployment and integration with existing safety measures.
The board moved on to the superintendent’s report and other business after the vote.
