PHOENIX — The new academic school year is set to begin in two weeks for Arizona State University students. One resource ASU Police use to keep campus safe this year will be more than 3,000 cameras.
On any ASU campus, cameras are everywhere.
"Our goal is not to spy on students or staff or faculty," Chris Hopkins, the ASU Police Real-Time Analysis Center manager, said.
More than 3,000 cameras are accessible by police across ASU-owned properties in Arizona, California, and Washington D.C.
When an emergency call comes in, cameras are moved to wherever the incident is taking place.
"I like to think of us as a virtual officer," Hopkins said.
Police say the cameras give responding officers a heads-up to what to expect.
"We want to be the first on scene for those officers so that when they arrive they have the information so they can resolve the issue as quickly as possible," Hopkins said.
Last year, ASU Police got a call about a possible active shooter at the Noble Library in Tempe.
"While that was occurring, we were able to bring up cameras in the library and see that nothing actually was occurring," Hopkins said.
According to ASU, "the call was a hoax, or 'swatting' incident without causing any undue alarm or concern to bystanders."
As ASU prepares for a new school year, the goal, keep the community safe.
"A positive for the overall safety of the various campuses. We’re here to serve the community and help the officer," Hopkins said.
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