Do not substitute cameras for a required CJIS visitor escort

Bottom line: live or recorded camera coverage may help observe and investigate a visit, but it does not meet a CJIS requirement for an escort. A qualified person must perform the escort function wherever the current policy requires it.

Source fact: electronic monitoring is not an escort

The FBI CJIS Security Policy v6.1 — Appendix A definition of Escort, dated June 25, 2026, states that camera and electronic monitoring do not constitute an escort. The policy contains physical-protection and visitor-control requirements that must be read in their complete applicability context.

This sentence closes a common design shortcut. A control room operator watching multiple feeds cannot automatically replace the person responsible for maintaining the required relationship with a visitor and limiting that visitor’s activity.

Source boundary and applicability

The CJIS Security Policy applies according to criminal justice information, agency relationships, contracts, location classification, and CJIS Systems Agency or Information Security Officer direction. This article does not determine whether a particular person is a visitor, whether an escort is required in a specific area, or what local procedure satisfies the requirement. Consult the current policy and responsible CJIS authority.

Applicability questions

Which locations, systems, media, or work activities bring the visit into CJIS scope?

Who is considered authorized unescorted personnel under current policy and local approval?

What qualifications, proximity, and duties must the escort maintain?

Can staffing cover simultaneous visitors, breaks, emergencies, and after-hours work?

How do sign-in, badge, access events, camera records, and escort records reconcile?

DSE recommendation: design a human escort workflow

The following steps are DSE recommendations based on the cited source.

Have the CJIS authority define scope, authorized populations, escort qualifications, permitted visitor areas, prohibited actions, and required records. At sign-in, verify identity as required, record purpose and sponsor, issue a visibly distinct and time-bounded credential, brief restrictions, and name the responsible escort. Transfer responsibility only through an explicit handoff.

Use access control and video to reinforce boundaries, investigate exceptions, and document events; do not label those systems as the escort. Stop work if required escort coverage is lost. At departure, recover credentials, reconcile tools or media where required, record time out, and review anomalies.

Exercise an escort handoff and an unexpected staffing interruption so the procedure proves continuous responsibility instead of assuming one named employee is always available.

Verification and evidence

Retain the applicability determination, current local procedure, escort roster and training, visitor logs, badge issue/return records, access events, exception reports, contractor instructions, and periodic observation of the workflow. Protect visitor personal information and CJIS-sensitive facility details according to policy.

Official references

FBI CJIS Security Policy v6.1 — Appendix A definition of Escort – Federal Bureau of Investigation; June 25, 2026