Mead School District grants sheriff’s office immediate camera access for emergency response

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Mead School District has approved new technology that gives the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office almost immediate access to school security cameras during emergencies, addressing community calls for enhanced school safety.

Right now, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has access to every school district’s cameras in the county besides Spokane Public Schools. However, the process of getting into the camera could take 10-15 minutes. Crucial time in the event of an emergency.

“The more accurate and quick responses to these instances is something we’re always striving for,” said Sheriff John Nowels.

Which is why the Mead School Board approved the $250,000 technology that connects school security cameras directly to the sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center. Allowing operators to monitor campuses live during emergency situations.

The system is designed for use during serious security incidents, including mass shootings or other significant emergencies where law enforcement response is required. Deputies say the immediate camera access helps them better understand situations and track suspects moving through school buildings.

“Any kind of mass shooting, school shooting, you know, significant school security instances, where law enforcement are going to be summoned anyway,” Nowels said, describing when the system would be activated.

School board member BrieAnne Gray emphasized the technology provides peace of mind for the district.

“This is hopefully never something that we would have to access. But in the terrible situation that we do, it’s just a peace of mind knowing that we have the best, best technology and resources available,” Gray said.

The surveillance system includes privacy protections and oversight measures. The sheriff’s office can only access the cameras during emergencies and must report to the school district each time they access the cameras, including when, how and for how long the system was used.

“Whenever we access the system, we have to report to the school system exactly when we accessed how we accessed and for the duration that we access them for,” Nowels said.