The following press release has been received from 16th congressional district United State Representative Don Manzullo. It says that McHenry County College will uses its $50,000 to purchase security cameras which will be located at campus entrances and parking lots. The images will be recorded.

There are no announced plans to place them outside of the MCC Board room.

Manzullo Secures $350,000 to Help Improve Security at MCC, NIU, Other Area Colleges

(CRYSTAL LAKE) – Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) today announced he has secured $350,000 in federal funds to help McHenry County College, Northern Illinois University, and five other colleges in northern Illinois bolster security measures to improve safety for students on campus.

At a news conference at MCC this morning with MCC President Dr. Walt Packard, Manzullo announced he has earmarked $50,000 each for

• MCC,
• NIU,
• Kishwaukee College in Malta,
• Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon,
• Highland Community College in Freeport,
• Rock Valley College in Rockford, and
• Rockford College.

The funds were secured through the Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations process for public safety needs.

“As we continue to heal and remember the victims of the NIU tragedy, we must look ahead and implement measures to bolster safety on our college campuses to try to prevent it from happening again,” Manzullo said. “I secured these funds for MCC, NIU and the other institutions of higher learning in northern Illinois so they can purchase the equipment they need to better protect their students and teachers.”

Dr. Packard added, “Unfortunately, we live in an age when our world is not as secure as we would like it to be. It is now more important than ever for MCC to provide a secure educational environment for our students and staff. We truly appreciate the assistance being provided by Congressman Manzullo. This funding will provide a lasting contribution toward strengthening our security systems – and help improve our campus-wide safety efforts overall.”

The schools plan to use their allocations in the following ways:

· McHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE – will purchase video surveillance cameras to cover college entrances and parking lots. Images will be viewable in the Campus Safety and Security Office and footage will be digitally recorded. Cameras can be programmed to automatically focus on a particular area.
· NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY – will purchase heavy duty emergency medical kits that will be placed in all major buildings on campus as well as emergency response vehicles. The kits will contain dozens of items needed for faster trauma response.
· ROCK VALLEY COLLEGE (Rockford) – will purchase a second siren to the south side of its main campus, additional software to allow instant messaging to all campus computers, hardware and software to enhance National Weather System connectivity to display emergency notifications on closed circuit TVs, and other communications equipment to increase telephone support in new classrooms.
· ROCKFORD COLLEGE (Rockford) – will purchase an emergency notification system capable of sending emergency messages in various modes (voice messages to land lines and cell phones, text messages to cell phones, PDAs, and other text-based devices, written messages to email accounts, and messages to devices for the hearing impaired); expanded security for campus residence halls, including key card access; and enhanced connectivity between the college and Winnebago County 911 response.
· HIGHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Freeport) – will use the funds to help purchase a campus-wide Public Address system to help meets its critical on-campus need. The system will allow emergency messages to be broadcast to all areas of the campus and will also allow emergency messages to be sent from any particular room to the entire campus.
· KISHWAUKEE COLLEGE (Malta) – will purchase six Blue Light emergency phones for the parking lots. These phones provide a direct link to the campus communications center. Students can simply pick up the handset or press the “call” button to report a crime, a fire, a medical emergency, or to request an escort.
· SAUK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Dixon) – will purchase extra security cameras throughout the campus, enhance its intercom system with new audio/visual capabilities, and purchase additional intercom units in classrooms, stairways and all the parking lots.