The Burnaby school district is reviewing the way it provides police with security video footage of crimes that happen near local schools.Since the beginning of the school year, there have been at least three major police incidents near school district buildings – including two homicides.A day later, Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang was stabbed to death by a homeless man who was shot during the altercation right beside the school district’s head office off Canada Way.
An annual video surveillance program report presented to the school board Tuesday said staff plans to review its policy “in consideration of recent incidents either near or within our facilities.” Secretary-treasurer Russell Horswill declined to comment on the specific cases that sparked the review but said it’s not unusual for investigators to come to the district for CCTV footage if a police incident has happened near a school district facility.
When police make a request for video, district staff label the video timeframe requested and provide a copy to police.“That’s not necessary,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is put in place a better process to flag times or dates that the video is requested, and there’s no need for the district staff to be viewing it.”