Observant students at Hawthorne High School have noticed a change in the hallways.  Coming back from winter break on Monday, February 25, 2013, students and staff of HHS noticed there were brand new security cameras installed throughout the school, in addition to the cameras that were already in place.

The new cameras, which are placed in full view throughout the halls of Hawthorne High, are round with multiple camera lenses encircling them. According to Principal Barry Cohen and security guard Al Maas, each camera is covered by a glass case to protect it. It is because of this round shape and dark glass that senior Kristopher Kozlowski announced, “The new cameras look like R2-D2!”

There are now over forty cameras throughout the school, filling the hallways with security and surveillance.  There were originally sixteen camera locations before the new instillation and now there are thirty-two different sites. Some of these cameras have the multiple lenses so they can record from several different angles. For example, the camera by the main entrance to the second floor can record the double doors in front as well as the length of the hallway.

The new cameras also are better than the old cameras as they connect to Hawthorne’s police department. According to security guard, Katie Hall, the cameras not only display an image for the school administrators and security staff to see, but also for the police as well.  The old cameras did not allow the police to see what was going on in Hawthorne High.  Now, when there is a dangerous event in the school, the police can see exactly what is happening and where the problem is located with the school’s walls. Police officers in cars with Internet access can also monitor the cameras on a screen mounted in their vehicles.

These new “R2-D2” cameras are here to keep the students at Hawthorne High School safer.  They are a small price to pay when it comes to the security of our students.