No crime found in Park Police camera

Jace Radke

Thursday, May 23, 2002 | 9:23 a.m.

Metro Police have determined that there is no indication of criminal behavior on the part of Clark County in connection with a video camera found in a Park Police men's locker room.

According to a Metro memorandum released by the county, a video camera found in Park Police headquarters, 2901 E. Sunset Road, last month was installed as part of an administrative decision in 1997.

The camera, hidden behind a false infrared alarm sensor on the locker room wall, led to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by 15 Park Police officers who are alleging that their privacy was invaded, and that the county is putting officers in dangerous situations because of a lack of equipment, training and manpower.

According to the memorandum, the camera installation went through official channels in the county, including now-retired Park Police Chief Chet Broderick.

"It was done with full knowledge of the county including the parks director," said Broderick, who retired about a year ago. "My best recollection is that we had a report of some thefts in a certain locker and so we put the camera in.

"It was only on from 12:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. when no one was supposed to be in there, and it had to be physically turned on by a supervisor as he left. It wasn't automatic, we weren't the CIA."

Metro detectives consulted with the U.S. attorney's office on the case and were told that because there appeared to be no audio recording capabilities installed with the camera, it did not violate federal wiretap laws.

Broderick said the camera was used for just two weeks at most, and that what officers discovered on April 16 must have been the remains of the surveillance equipment.

"When it was uninstalled the guy must have forgot to take out the little bug," Broderick said.

Richard Stevens, the county employee who installed the camera, told detectives that he was told that the camera was put up because of a theft problem. He also told detectives that a VCR was installed in a maintenance room to monitor the camera, according to police reports.

In the lawsuit the plaintiffs allege that the camera may have been installed to spy on them and possibly to gather information during union contract negotiations.

The suit further alleges that the county has failed to provide radio communication equipment, a properly trained and manned dispatch facility and enough manpower for effective and safe coverage of the parks in the officers' jurisdiction.

The suit asks for an injunction to force the county to provide the functions, facilities and other requirements for basic work safety. The suit further asks for general damages, special damages, punitive damages and damages for pain and suffering all for an amount to be determined at trial.

Clark County Parks and Community Services Director Pat Marchese said that it was unfortunate that the situation with the camera arose in the first place.

"The Park Police can rest assured this will never happen again," Marchese said.

Marchese said that the department would not comment on the pending lawsuit per county policy.