New monitoring system will increase security at dormitories
Bratislava, 2 December 2021: A new monitoring system installed by Comenius University Bratislava at Mlyny Dormitories gives students more security. The university takes the protection of health and life of dormitory guests very seriously and so plans to record all security interventions, in order to minimize arbitrary decisions, protect both the students and its staff, and ensure a fair handling of violations.
Security officers are being equipped with personal cameras (bodycams), which will record their interventions. These may include responses of security officers to incidents which occur during their shift, like dormitory rules violations or the meting out of penalties. The new system will allow a greater accuracy in disciplinary proceedings and during security interventions. The aim is greater transparency while intervening and a fairer resolution of possible disputes.
This new system will also improve the university's capability to monitor compliance with anti-pandemic rules. The system complements existing monitoring options and increases the level of protection of both students’ property and of university assets.
The bodycams of concierge and security staff will monitor the areas near public entrances to Comenius University buildings, as well as turnstiles, ramps, corridors, waste bin areas, the dining hall and, in case of an intervention in rooms, even those areas. In case of an incident, recordings will be stored for 72 hours in a secure data storage. If an incident becomes the subject of an inquiry into a possible breach of guest rules or a criminal investigation, the recording may be stored for up to 90 days. For the sake of the students’ own security, the university will keep detailed records of who and when created and stored a recording. The whole system cost a little over EUR 1,000.
“We have worked on the university security project for some time. Our intention is to help students feel safe in our dormitories. With the help of the new system, any disputes can be resolved in a more transparent and fair manner, and, above all, faster,” said the Quaestor of Comenius University Ingrid Kútna Želonková.