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Photo Ann Wood
Teen-agers on the benches in downtown Wellfleet, across the street from the Wellfleet News Dealer, where local police have installed a hidden camera. |
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Wellfleet cops watch with hidden camera
Ann Wood
Banner Staff
The Wellfleet Police Dept. admitted to secretly placing a surveillance camera in the upper left window of the News Dealer building on Main Street to watch Town Hall lawn, its benches and anyone who happened to wander by. When residents on the street were told of this Monday, some reacted with words such as “bizarre” and “Big Brother.”
While police officials acknowledged video surveillance had occurred (and may still be occurring), it refused to specify exactly what it’s investigating and whether it monitored the Town Hall area by videotape review or by watching it live at the station. No matter, Police Chief Richard Rosenthal said, it’s all perfectly legal.
“I will respectfully submit that you can’t leave your house and not be under surveillance,” he said Tuesday. “Basically you can tape, you can videotape, anywhere you want in a public area. If you’re on the street, you’re in a public area.”
Wellfleet summer resident Jamin Raskin, an esteemed constitutional law professor at American University, agreed that secret surveillance is not illegal, but wondered about the Police Dept.’s motives.
“He’s right in the sense that anyone can take a picture in public,” Raskin said. “It does seem curious. … Maybe the chief is a bit nostalgic for his undercover days infiltrating extremist groups. But it’s a little sad that he has to fix his sights on the Wellfleet park bench at this point.”
The teen-agers that sat out on Town Hall bench Monday afternoon figured the camera was in place for them. After giving it the finger, they told the Banner that the Town Hall bench had been broken three times this summer and figured that’s why they were being watched. Still, they felt their privacy was being invaded.
“I think it’s profiling against the teen-agers and that’s just not cool,” said Mike Blakesley, adding that the cops in Wellfleet seem as bored as those in his hometown of Hopkinton. “I think it would be an invasion of our Constitutional rights of freedom of congregation.”
Others thought it simply unfair that technology could be used against them.
“They didn’t have [video camera surveillance] when they were kids, so why should we,” wondered Steven Caminiti.
According to News Dealer property owner Madeline Manchuk, the Police Dept. called her about two weeks ago to ask if they could place a surveillance camera in the building.
“He did mention that the kids had been rowdy at night and they’ve done damage to the buildings at night [and cut telephone wires],” she said, adding that when she gave permission she didn’t know it was going to be a secret surveillance. “Even if they see [the camera], it’s a deterrent.”
Rosenthal said that the Police Dept. has used surveillance cameras in the past successfully. The police recently “broke a case” because of a video camera located inside a store, he said.
Randy Canova allegedly broke into two cars and committed two burglaries in one evening recently, Rosenthal said. The police were investigating places the suspect broke into, one of which had a surveillance camera and caught Canova in action. Canova fled the state and is now serving time in a New Jersey state prison.
“I would love to arrest him and I will arrest him should he step foot back in this state,” Rosenthal said, adding that no matter where a person is in public “there are video cameras everywhere.”
According to Wellfleet police Lt. Ron Fisette, it is the lack of a law banning videotaping in public that allows for it.
“There’s no problem as long as there is no audio,” Rosenthal said. “And that’s a problem because I’d like to put cameras [with audio] in cars.”
Having cameras with audio in police cars is important, said Rosenthal, because people make allegations that can’t be proved without it.
Meanwhile, people in town — and those who work downtown — aren’t thrilled about the surveillance camera.
“It bothers me, yeah, that they’re watching us, the kids. If they’re so concerned about what’s going on out there, why don’t they just have a cop out there,” said John Cappello, owner of Cappello’s Country Store on Main Street.
“I think it’s bizarre,” said Mary Ellen Manning, a year-round resident who just happened to be walking down Main Street Monday. “It doesn’t [seem like] something that would be in Wellfleet.”
“I dislike it because I dislike Big Brother,” said Larry Peters of Cape Shores Real Estate on Main Street. “That’s very bad.”
“I’m really pretty surprised, dumbfounded that there’s a surveillance camera watching Town Hall lawn because of the kids,” said librarian Elaine McIlroy. “Is it any different than a web-cam? I don’t like those either.”
With word spreading about surveillance cameras in Wellfleet, Raskin feels things are working as they should.
“It’s not secret anymore. That’s what’s great about America,” Raskin said, adding that most secret surveillance efforts are eventually found out. “I think Big Brother is watching Little Brother. But I don’t know, it’s just so funny.”
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