Marblehead group seeking limits on school cameras

MARBLEHEAD – A group of local residents want Town Meeting to limit the use of security cameras in town schools.Article 8 in the Town Warrant calls on the town and the School Department to put up signs where surveillance cameras and recording devices are used and delete all surveillance camera recordings 10 days after they are collected. The lengthy proposed bylaw further bans sharing of this data with any other government agencies without the authorization of the chief of police, who must tell selectmen in writing of his decision.The article, filed by Emil Ronchi and 16 other voters, cites the right to privacy in the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights and the United States Constitution. It notes that the installation of school security cameras occurred without “a full public discussion,” and images and data may be shared with “state police and the federal government, including to the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.”The article was mentioned at the last School Committee meeting, when members voted to accept a revised policy on school security cameras.Committee member Thomas Connolly asked his colleagues if the committee should prepare to address the article at Town Meeting.Committee member Jonathan Lederman said, We are staying absolutely within the law. This is a citizen-sponsored article and the burden to argue is on their part.” The vote to approve the policy was 4-0, with Connolly abstaining.The new policy states that cameras may be used “where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.” It requires “proper (retention and disposal) procedures” and signs advertising the presence of security cameras, and allows only school administrators or their designees to view video recordings. Law enforcement officials may only view them after giving notice to the school superintendent.Ronchi said Thursday he had not seen the new policy. “I?m glad they did something,” he said. “I don?t know if it goes far enough.”?Government seems to have the capability to compile a database on everyone. I?m not a lawyer but it seems that as far as a reasonable expectation of privacy is concerned, every time people demand privacy the courts seem to say, ?That?s a reasonable expectation.”?At least we?ll make people think about this,” he said.Security cameras have been used in a number of Marblehead school buildings, but the issue was aired at School Committee meetings last fall after the town?s School Security Subcommittee obtained a $44,000 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant covering half the cost of security cameras for Marblehead High.