SPRINGFIELD — The School Committee has approved a new five-year policy that will allow police to continue to access live footage inside the schools under strict regulations and only in the case of an emergency.

The committee approved the policy in a 6-1 vote Thursday after more than six months of research, which included several public meetings with parents, students, staff and community members. It also included line-by-line scrutiny by lawyers, and multiple discussions with police and the Real Time Analysis Center director, who oversees the city’s camera system.