Video surveillance cameras installed throughout School District 73 appear to have generated little concern over privacy during the past school year, though district officials acknowledge the technology is not always successful in preventing theft, vandalism and other incidents.

“Those are the two key reasons why we have them; that it’s theft and vandalism,” said SD73 superintendent Mike St. John.

“We can’t say that it makes a huge difference from year to year. NorKam has them. Did their numbers [of incidents of theft and vandalism] go up or down this year because they did or didn’t have cameras? It’s a hard one to measure.”

St. John said the cameras are installed either when incidents of theft and vandalism occur or when a school principal or parent advisory counsel requests they be installed. To his knowledge, there hasn’t been a privacy complaint lodged since the cameras have been adopted.

The Chronicle reached out to the District Parent Advisory Council, who stated parents haven’t mentioned any concerns about the cameras to them either.

A portable fire at Sa-hali secondary and a roof fire at Westmount elementary are recent examples of the type of incidents the cameras are intended to deter, said St. John. This would be a decision made by the district’s Facilities Department.

“We’d take direction from our RCMP partners as well if they thought a camera in a certain spot would prevent somebody getting on the roof,” he said, adding trustees would then make a decision based on meetings with a school’s parent advisory council.

According to the district’s annual Video Surveillance Report for the 2025-26 school year, cameras continue to operate at schools, district facilities and aboard all school buses across the district.

The district is required to conduct an annual review of its surveillance program under Administrative Procedure 181, which governs the installation and operation of video cameras on school property.

Cameras are currently installed at a variety of district locations, including several elementary and secondary schools, maintenance facilities and administrative offices. Many of the cameras are positioned outside buildings and are intended to deter theft and vandalism. Others are used for safety purposes.

Among the locations monitored are the Kamloops Maintenance facility, where 15 exterior cameras help deter theft, and Twin Rivers Education Centre at Happyvale, which operates five outdoor cameras aimed at reducing vandalism.

NorKam secondary has two exterior cameras monitoring its trades wing and compound, while Valleyview secondary operates four cameras, including two in its canteen area intended to discourage theft.

The district also maintains cameras at Beattie elementary, Ralph Bell elementary, Bert Edwards Science and Technology School, Westsyde secondary and the School Board Office.

Specialized camera installations are also in place at South Kamloops secondary and the Directed Suspension program on Victoria Street. At South Kamloops secondary, a camera located in the medical room is activated only when a student is using the space.