How many CCTV cameras protect your child’s school?

Last week an investigation by the Press and Journal showed just how concerned people in Aberdeen are about their safety.

Now new data has revealed that 500 CCTV cameras are installed in schools across the city – although not every school has cameras, and not every school has a similar amount of cameras.

As part of the investigation, a survey carried out by the Press and Journal showed that of 352 people who answered a question that asked whether CCTV made them feel safe, only 35.1% of men and 30% of women agreed it did make them feel safer.

Nine percent of men and 28.3% of women who completed the question within the survey however were unsure of the impact of CCTV on their safety, while 55.9% of men and 41.7% of women surveyed said it did not make them feel safe.

The survey aimed to find out people’s perceptions of safety in Aberdeen, and where improvements could be made.

Data obtained by the Press and Journal’s data team showed that Aberdeen City Council operates hundreds of cameras across its estate, and as well as in schools, they are also situated across its museums, council buildings, car parks and bus lanes.

Across Aberdeen, 29 of the 48 schools run by Aberdeen City Council have CCTV cameras.

Milltimber School, which had the highest number of cameras in the city at 22, is also the newest school in the council’s roster. It opened in Spring 2022.

The council has stated that newer schools are being built with cameras as standard, which accounts for the greater number compared to older schools.

Across all primary schools with CCTV in the city, there’s currently 249 cameras in operation.

Meanwhile, 10 out of 11 secondary schools have cameras. Only Harlaw Academy was not included in a list of CCTV cameras monitored by Aberdeen City Council.

Across all secondary schools, there’s a total of 248 cameras in all of the schools combined.

Cults Academy has the highest number of cameras at 57, followed by Northfield Academy with 54 and then Lochside Academy which has 48.

An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “The requirement for and use of CCTV cameras in schools is based on each individual school’s circumstances, and an assessment of whether the cameras would mitigate any identified risks.

“The number of cameras used will be determined by the size and layout of the building and the areas required to be covered by the cameras.

“Newer schools tend to have cameras installed as standard, as part of the building’s security strategy.”

All of the cameras in schools are maintained by Aberdeen City Council.

Other cameras exist in areas around the city, called public space cameras, and are maintained by Police Scotland.

The map below shows the number of cameras currently in operation maintained by either the council or the police. It does not include private cameras outside businesses or homes.