09:42:00 Safety Camera Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish protocol for the installation of safety camera equipment, and the handling, viewing, reviewing, retention, dissemination, and destruction of safety camera records. The existence of this policy does not imply or guarantee that safety camera equipment will be monitored in real time 24 hours a day, seven days per week. The college assumes no additional liability for campus safety as a result of utilizing safety camera systems and/or making determinations of when it is, or is not, monitored in real time.

Policy

Walters State Community College is committed to enhancing safety and security for the campus community by integrating technology into police and safety coverage. As an added tool, Walters State has implemented the use of safety camera equipment.  The use of safety camera equipment is intended to deter crime and assist in the detection and investigation of criminal or other incidents occurring on campus property. This policy will govern the implementation, installation, use and access to safety cameras institution-wide. All persons authorized for monitoring, viewing, and reviewing video records or images shall receive a copy of this policy and provide written acknowledgement that they have read the policy for safety camera usage. This policy does not cover video equipment used for instructional purposes.

• Implementation of Safety Cameras

The college will concentrate on and be responsible for costs incurred for camera implementation for internal and external areas such as buildings, campus entrances and exits, parking lots, public use areas, restricted use areas, as well as any other locations approved by VP Council. The priority listing for camera placement will be developed by the chief of Campus Police and presented to and approved by VP Council. Safety camera system expansion is to occur as funding is available.   

The initial installation of cameras focused on camera placement and viewing angles to cover outdoor entrances and exits to campuses and parking lots and primary entrances and exits to buildings. As the safety camera system expands, assessments of areas that do not currently provide viewing angles will be prioritized. Other factors will also be considered in expansion proposals such as areas that may be identified as high risk or high traffic areas.

• Placement of Safety Camera Equipment

Safety camera equipment will be limited to uses that do not violate an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy or otherwise prohibited by law. Safety camera equipment may be installed in public access areas and places where the safety and security of either persons or property would be enhanced by the installation of such equipment, to include the interior and exterior of facilities. Placement of cameras in campus facilities in the following areas is prohibited unless the safety camera equipment is being used for investigations:

1. Inside residential living quarters
2. Inside bathrooms
3. Inside locker rooms
4. Inside classrooms
5. Inside health treatment rooms
6. Inside individual’s offices
7. Other areas that may constitute an individual’s right to privacy

• Responsibilities and Authority

The Walters State Community College Campus Police Department, in conjunction with the Office of Information and Educational Technologies (IET), is responsible for implementation of the safety camera system. The Walters State IET department is responsible for technical selection of equipment, coordinating installation, and the inventory, maintenance and/or replacement of cameras as needed. The Walters State Campus Police Department is responsible for conducting needs assessment, camera placement and routine operation of the system. The Walters State Campus Police Department will monitor developments in the law and in security industry practices and technology to ensure that the college’s use of safety camera equipment consistently complies with federal and state laws. 

Responsibility for determining the appropriateness of installing institutionally authorized safety camera equipment at locations used for non-instructional purposes, and for disseminating and implementing this policy is delegated to the Office of Campus Police in conjunction with the Office of Business and Finance. The chief of Campus Police will utilize VP Council to review policy and make recommendations regarding locations of safety camera equipment based on the parameters contained in this policy. The chief of Campus Police will be responsible for assessing and recommending all proposals for safety camera equipment installations.

• Appropriate Uses of Safety Camera equipment on campus

Safety camera equipment should be visible unless being used for criminal investigations, or non-criminal investigations of situations which may be a significant risk to public safety and security. 

Safety camera equipment use for non-instructional purposes is considered appropriate when it enhances:

1. Protection of individuals, equipment and facilities.
2. Monitoring of restricted use and public areas.
3. Monitoring of building/campus entrances and exits.
4. Investigation of criminal activity or other incidents occurring on campus.

Safety camera equipment use on campuses is considered inappropriate when it entails:

1. Installing of placebo or “dummy” cameras that do not operate on a regular basis.
2. Infringement on a person’s reasonable expectations of privacy.
3. Recording as a means of surreptitiously evaluating employee performance (unless criminal activity or policy violations are suspected).

• Safety Camera equipment Access and monitoring

All recording or monitoring by safety camera equipment shall be conducted in a manner consistent with state and federal laws and college policies, and will not be based on the subject’s personal characteristics, including race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected classifications. Safety camera equipment is not monitored continually by personnel but can be monitored or reviewed for legitimate safety purposes if circumstances warrant (e.g., high risk areas, restricted access areas, in response to an alarm, special events, or specific investigations). 

No unauthorized individuals may monitor, view, or review video images from safety camera equipment for any reason except as necessary in the course of an investigation adjudication.

The college will comply with its legal obligations with respect to search warrants and subpoenas issued by an appropriate court and acknowledge that the campus police may apply for and secure appropriate search warrants in carrying out its law enforcement responsibilities. Any persons who tamper with or destroy safety camera equipment or records will be subject to criminal proceedings and/or campus judicial action. 

• Release of Safety Camera records

Recordings or images from the safety camera equipment may not be released to media outlets without approval of the vice president for Strategic Communications & Effectiveness and in accordance with state law and established college policies with regard to confidential records.

All other requests for recordings or images must be forwarded to the chief of Campus Police for review by submitting a “Safety Camera Review/Release Request Form” (See Appendix A). The requesting individual will be notified within 10 business days if the request has been approved or not.

The Walters State Campus Police Department may provide recordings or images to other law enforcement agencies/officials conducting official investigations where those recordings or images may be relevant within the scope of those investigations.

The Safety Review/Release Request Form is available at: https://ws.edu/student-services/campus-safety/forms/

• Safety Camera System Authorized use

To protect the college from liability due to possible misuse of the system, access will be limited appropriately, and permission to use the system will not be widely published or granted. Access to the camera system should be considered only upon documented request to the chief of Campus Police by completing the “Safety Camera Access Request Form” form (See Appendix B). The chief of Campus Police will review the request and establish a recommended level of access. The request will then be presented to VP Council for review prior to approval by the president. The disposition will be documented on the request form under section “C”.  If access is approved, the approved form will be forwarded to IET by the Campus Police Department for the purpose of establishing user access in accordance with this policy and IET computing policies. IET will indicate the date the user account was created in section “D” of the form and forward the original back to the chief of Campus Police. All original completed requests will be maintained by the Campus Police Department for audit purposes. User accounts will be disabled by IET as part of the institutional checkout process, or unless requested otherwise, such as the user’s access is revoked or he/she no longer needs the access.

The Safety Camera Access Request Form is available at: https://ws.edu/student-services/campus-safety/forms/

System access will be limited to the two following types: 

1. View only - The approved individual may only view live camera feeds for the primary campus(s) for which he/she has responsibility. This will include all current building interior and exterior views.
2. View and review – The approved individual may view active camera feeds for the primary campus(s) for which he/she has responsibility, and is additionally granted approval to review recorded footage available within the current data storage window. This will also include all current building interior and exterior views.

User groups established in the camera system are set based upon the current structure of the system. View-only and view/review access is granted either by all locations or by individual site which will provide access to all cameras associated with those sites. The user groups and levels of access for those sites are listed below with a brief overview of each.

Cameras – Admin: Users assigned to this group have intimate working knowledge of the system and settings and therefore have view and review access. These users require a higher level of access in order to modify settings and troubleshoot network, software and hardware. They are also responsible for working with the camera/access control vendor on any issues that are beyond their capability. This group mainly consists of select IET and Campus Police personnel.

Cameras – All Campuses (View/Review): Users assigned to this group must be able to access live and recorded view of video for all campus sites to aid in general monitoring, emergency situations and investigations. Users in this group are limited to full time campus police officers. This is mainly to aid in investigation integrity and preserving any potential video evidence.

Cameras – Claiborne Site (View/Review): Users assigned to this group must be able to access live and recorded view of video for the Claiborne site to aid in general monitoring, emergency situations and investigations. Users in this group are limited to the Tazewell Police department who is contracted by the institution to provide police services at that location. This is mainly to aid in investigation integrity and preserving any potential video evidence.

Cameras – All Campuses (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for all campus sites for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. Users in this group mainly consist of the president, President’s Office executive director, the vice presidents, select facilities personnel and part-time campus police officers.

Cameras – Morristown Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the Morristown site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. No users are assigned to this group.

Cameras – PSC Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the PSC site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. The only user currently assigned to this group is the Dean of Public Safety.

Cameras – EXPO Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the Expo site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. The only user assigned to this group is the executive director of the Expo Center.

Cameras – Greeneville Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the Greeneville site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. The only users assigned to this group are the dean and director of the Niswonger Campus.

Cameras – Sevierville Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the Sevierville site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. The only users assigned to this group are the dean of the Sevierville Campus and their alternate as well as select facilities personnel.

Cameras – Newport Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the Newport site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. The only users assigned to this group are the dean and director of Distance Education and their alternate.

Cameras – Claiborne Site (View Only): Users assigned to this group must be able to view live video for the Claiborne site for various reasons from general monitoring and emergency situations to checking campus weather conditions etc. The only users assigned to this group are the dean and director of the Claiborne Campus and their alternate.

• Internal Controls and Accountability

A request for camera footage review may be made to the Campus Police Department. When such a request is made, a “Safety Camera Review/Release Request Form” will be completed and an incident number assigned for record purposes. The request will be reviewed by the chief of Campus Police to ensure compliance with the review process and established policy as well as state and federal law.  As a matter of record, a “Safety Camera Video Review Log” sheet will be maintained by the Campus Police Department.

Recordings or images captured by institutionally authorized safety camera equipment that are saved for investigative purposes will be archived in a secure location by IET. These records will be accessible only to authorized college personnel on an as needed basis. Any recordings or images captured for investigative purposes will be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine the length of time these records should be kept. Once these records are no longer needed, all recordings and images will be destroyed in accordance with records retention laws/policies, except if they are being used as part of an ongoing investigation of criminal activity that may require they be retained longer. Alteration of recorded images is strictly prohibited. 

General retention time for recorded video or images that are not being used for investigative purposes will vary from campus to campus based upon available electronic storage capacity.

All approved users will receive a copy of this policy and must acknowledge its receipt. The camera policy will also be made accessible to the public via the campus web page. Misuse of safety camera equipment recordings may subject the individual(s) to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination.

An annual report of authorized users will be reviewed by the chief of Campus Police and approved by VP Council. Concerns about any possible violations of camera system use should be directed immediately to the Office of the Vice President for Business and Finance. A list of authorized users will be maintained on the system of record by IET, and is available for review upon request.

• Signs

Each campus has signage posted at or near the campus entrances notifying of the use of video recording devices.

02/22; 08/22