Hollister School District safety measures ahead of new school year

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) - Hollister High School is stepping up it’s security this year, adding about 30 new security cameras.

Parents we spoke to are glad the school is taking extra safety measures.

"It might seem like an invasion of privacy, but as long as it's not in the bathrooms, as long as it's not, you know, in private areas, I think that's a really great idea," said Maria Garcia, a parent at Hollister High School.

Maria just enrolled her son here, she says extra surveillance is important.

"It makes me feel really comfortable knowing that if there is a situation, i can ask the school to review the cameras and see what exactly happened," said Maria.

Last year, Hollister High School had about 95 cameras installed across the campus.

This year, that number increased to about 130 cameras.

Nick Rabago is in charge of security and safety for the school, he says, "If a non student or even student see that there's a camera there, I think they're less likely to do something they're not supposed to do if they see that."

Nick says the cameras have been effective, especially in vandalism cases.

With about 36-hundred students expected this school year, the ratio of cameras to students is 1 to 27.

We do have a camera set up in our front lobby and we have another camera set up in a location that there's a lot of money changed," said Rabago.

Hollister High School didn’t stop with adding more security cameras, they also hired 6 more full time campus supervisors, and added new door locks and gates.

"I just it makes me feel like my son is safe going here," said Maria.

Rabago says the majority of the new cameras are installed near the aquatics center.

99 percent of the cameras installed are outdoors according to the school.