MCPS Bus Camera Company: A private company equipped school buses with security cameras to capture drivers illegally passing the stopped vehicles. The firm then mailed citations to the drivers. The school districts were to receive a cut of the money collected. Two years later, none of the school districts has gotten a penny, and BusGuard... is defunct.

It was supposed to keep children safe and generate extra revenue for San Antonio-area school districts.

A private company equipped school buses with security cameras to capture drivers illegally passing the stopped vehicles. The firm then mailed citations to the drivers. The school districts were to receive a cut of the money collected.

Two years later, none of the school districts has gotten a penny, and BusGuard, the Dallas-based firm that owned the technology, is defunct...

...BusGuard, along with Dallas County Schools and Force Multiplier Solutions, have been in the center of a federal probe that’s led to resignations and a guilty plea for federal wire fraud stemming from a bribery and kickback scheme, according to news reports. In November, Dallas County voters decided to shutter Dallas County Schools, which levied a property tax in Dallas County.

Dallas County Schools worked with Force Multiplier Solutions to market the technology as BusGuard.

School districts are filing claims with a committee formed after BusGuard’s downfall. It is charged with handling debts from those deals. NEISD was supposed to receive more than $600,000 last summer and is now evaluating how it’s going to proceed.

A group of Canadian investors who had originally licensed the technology for use in Canada has formed a company called BusPatrol that’s working to revive the program...

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/politics/article/Council-committee-weighs-program-aimed-at-fining-13028951.php

Give MCPS Parents Access to Existing Live Stream of Cameras Inside School Buses

Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery County Police entered into a contract with a company to install exterior and interior cameras on all MCPS school buses.

In 2016, the Montgomery County Council learned all about the cameras installed on the buses.  Below are excerpts from the County Council packet that was written by Susan J. Farag, Legislative Analyst and Essie McGuire, Senior Legislative Analyst.  Essie McGuire now works for MCPS COO Andrew Zuckerman. 

One of the features of the 14 cameras per bus package installed on MCPS school buses is LIVE VISUAL links inside the bus to access activity and PROTECT students from SEXUAL ASSAULTS.  

MCPS is well aware of this feature.  It's time to make parents and guardians aware and give them access to the live video that is available today on MCPS school buses.  It's time to use the existing technology to really keep students safe on MCPS school buses.

...BusGuard protects students from theft, drug dealers, sexual assault, fights, weapons, other crimes and inappropriate behavior, and also helps protect school bus drivers from abuse or trouble caused by students. While some districts request systems capable of recording activity related to motorists who illegally pass stopped scihool buses, our offer also includes interior cameras and twoMway Voice-Over-IP (VOIP) communication, as well as a sl/ent alann for the bus driver to quickly signal an emergency. With BusGuard, school officials are given live audio and visual links inside the bus to assess activity in the event of an emergency, or to investigate a report of inappropriate or illegal behavior (page circle 18)....

...The bundled package that FXS offers provides 14 cameras on each bus, installed both inside and outside. The three interior cameras have "live view" streaming video with live twoway communication with the driver's remote access. There is a rear camera with backup assist, a forward facing camera, and a right side camera. The product offers six-lane automated enforcement coverage. It also offers real-time GPS (page 2)...

   2016 07 11_PSED Montgomery County Council by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd