Cheney OKs surveillance camera

Thu., April 30, 2009

Ryan Lancaster Correspondent

The Cheney City Council gave police the go-ahead Tuesday for the installation of a surveillance camera at First and College streets.

Despite council member Teresa Overhauser’s outspoken resistance to the project, the resolution passed 5-to-1 in favor of utilizing the $69,000 Homeland Security grant. This money would be used to install the camera as well as the infrastructure necessary for a future surveillance network. Police Chief Jeff Sale told the council the security system could one day be used by private businesses as well as by the police.

Overhauser raised numerous issues surrounding surveillance cameras, including their effectiveness in deterring crime.

“No data exists (for their effectiveness) other than anecdotal evidence,” Overhauser said. She went on to question the cost of retaining evidence in the face of hazy public records rules which are still evolving to deal with the new technology.

Council member Curt Huff countered that if the camera does end up costing the city money it could likewise be shut down.

Sale said he’d been assured by the Washington state Archives Department that video footage must be retained for over 30 days only when the information would be used in an investigation.

While he wasn’t entirely sure about the retention issue, city attorney Nathan Smith allowed that, “I believe that in that window of time, in 30 days, any documentation stored by the city becomes a public record.”

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