LANCASTER, S.C. (Queen City News) — A new app called SaferWatch aimed at helping law enforcement examine threats in the community is coming to some South Carolina schools.
Lancaster County School District teachers and administrators will now be able to upload videos, photos and audio to the app, which can then be used by first responders to notify the public and direct people to safety. Officials say it will take about six months for each school to be fully equipped.
“We’re going to implement it in all facilities,” one LCSD official said at last month’s school board meeting. “They have everything in place to implement everything we need. … He’s probably at the end of the 24th academic year. He’s definitely at the beginning of the 24th-25th.”
It will cost the district $91,000 in the first year and an additional $65,000 each year in maintenance costs.
Tonya Ross has been an advocate for safer schools for years. Although she likes the idea of this app, she is critical of the amount of money spent on her device that has no clear thorough investigation or feedback and separates it from security.
“I don’t know what it is,” she told Queen City News. “Bottom principals and principals in each school don’t know what it is. They need more data about it so they know what we’re investing in and if We can spend taxpayer money on it because it’s important.”
Ross worries that the increased funding the district will need to maintain the app will only hurt the pockets of neighborhood residents. She believes there are still other security measures to consider.
District School Board Member Melvin Stroble said he wonders how the app will work if some schools are having trouble using the internet.
“Many of our buildings had metal roofs and metal structures, which compromised self-service and made it difficult to make radio calls,” he said. “We’re currently looking at trying and experimenting with different things with some radios, but in terms of safer lookout, we’re going to have a number of radios in each school to help monitor 911 calls.” I think we’re going to have to put up a tower.”
Stroble decided to postpone the motion to accept SaferWatch until the November board meeting to give administrators a chance to review the app and provide feedback. It was denied.
We reached out to the school district for comment on the app, but have not yet received a response.