News
Hidden Camera Discovered in Council Chambers Riles Members
By: Associated Press
Posted on:
BELLAIRE, Ohio (AP) – A hidden camera in the chambers of a Belmont County village council has riled some of the members who discovered it, but village officials say it’s there for security, not spying.
Bellaire Village Councilman Dan Brown says council members were unaware of the camera until they began searching for the source of leaks about nonpublic meetings and found a receipt for a video surveillance clock. Brown says the receipt bore the name of Village Administrator Scott Porter.
But Porter told WTOV-TV that the camera is there to monitor the council’s audience and the entry to the chambers as a security measure. He says it doesn’t record audio.
Brown says he wants the device removed and would have it destroyed if it weren’t paid for by taxpayers.