Feb 08, 2025  
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Business & Finance (Includes Plant Operations


04:34:00 Surveillance Camera Footage Policy

 

  1. Purpose
    1. Chattanooga State Community College is committed to enhancing the quality of life of the campus community by integrating the best practices of safety and security with technology. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for the use of security cameras on property owned and/or utilized by Chattanooga State Community College in a way that enhances security and aids law enforcement while respecting the privacy rights of members of the college community in accordance with the college’s core values and state and federal laws. This policy governs the installation of video surveillance equipment and the handling, viewing, retention, dissemination, and destruction of video surveillance records. The existence of this policy does not imply or guarantee that video surveillance equipment will be monitored in real time 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chattanooga State Community College assumes no additional liability for campus safety as a result of utilizing video surveillance systems and/or making determinations of when it is/is not monitored in real time. 
  2. Scope
    1. This policy applies to all employees and departments/divisions of Chattanooga State Community College in the use of video surveillance equipment on property owned or controlled by the college. All departments/divisions using video surveillance equipment are responsible for complying with this policy in their respective operations.
    2. Video surveillance equipment may be installed in locations where the security and safety of either property or persons would be enhanced, including the interior and/or exterior of facilities. Video surveillance equipment will be limited to uses that do not violate an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy as defined by law. The functions of video surveillance equipment fall into three main categories of surveillance activity: 
      1. Property Protection: Where the main intent is to capture video and store it so that if property is reported stolen or damaged, the video may show the perpetrator. Examples: an unstaffed computer lab, an unstaffed science lab, or a parking lot. 
      2. Personal Safety: Where the main intent is to capture video and store it so that if a person is assaulted, the video may show the perpetrator. Examples: a public walkway or a parking lot. 
      3. Investigation of Criminal Activity: The ability for law enforcement to review recorded or live video footage in relation to a criminal act. Example: Theft of a computer from a building or department. 
    3. This policy shall not apply to use of cameras for reasons unrelated to surveillance activity, including (but not limited to): 
      1. Remote monitoring of facilities construction and progress 
      2. Instructional, academic, athletic or artistic purposes 
      3. Research that is governed by other policies involving human subjects or animals 
      4. In health treatment settings governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 
      5. Monitoring automated teller machines (ATMs)
      6. To conduct business or video conferences 
      7. To conduct an audit of law enforcement investigation 
      8. In accordance with a court order 
    4. Nor shall this policy apply to cameras used by law enforcement in the following manners: 
      1. Covert operations for the purpose of criminal surveillance 
      2. Mobile cameras used in, on, or about law enforcement 
      3. Body-worn or otherwise portable cameras used during the course of investigations 
  3. Responsibilities
    1. The Chattanooga State Campus Police Department (CSPD), in conjunction with the Vice President for Business and Finance (VPBF), is responsible for implementation of this policy. They have the authority to coordinate, operate, and manage all campus video surveillance equipment pursuant to this policy. The CSPD has the exclusive authority to monitor and view video surveillance footage. 
  4. Security Camera Placement
    1. Video surveillance equipment will be located in areas considered public access areas where a person does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. 
    2. Camera positions and views shall be limited. Viewing through the windows of private rooms is prohibited. 
    3. Unless the video surveillance equipment is being used for criminal investigations in accordance with law, monitoring by video surveillance equipment in the following locations is prohibited:
      1. Restrooms 
      2. Single occupancy offices unless approved by the divisional vice president and signage is posted 
      3. Locker rooms 
      4. Health treatment rooms 
    4. The installation of “dummy” video surveillance equipment (i.e., equipment that does not operate) is prohibited. 
  5. Access and Monitoring
    1. All recording or monitoring by video surveillance equipment shall be conducted in a manner consistent with campus policies, state and federal laws, including the College’s EEO Statement.  Furthermore, all recording or monitoring will be conducted in a professional and legal manner. 
    2. Access to live video or recorded video from video surveillance equipment shall be limited to persons authorized by the CSPD. When an incident is reported, the department or unit head responsible for the area in question may request CSPD to review video surveillance records relating to an incident. As circumstances require, the CSPD can authorize others to review video surveillance records. Authorization occurs with confirmation from the VPBF. Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of CSPD in law enforcement activities. 
  6. Appropriate Use and Confidentiality 
    1. Access to the video surveillance system shall be limited to the minimum required to perform the functions of an individual’s position.  
    2. Video surveillance records are considered confidential and can only be used for official campus and law enforcement purposes upon the approval of the CSPD with final confirmation from the VPBF via the camera access request form. Video surveillance records shall be handled with an appropriate level of security to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure and in accordance with TBR Policy IT Acceptable Uses (formerly G-054): 1.08.05.00. https://policies.tbr.edu/policies/it-acceptable-uses-formerly-g-054 
  7. Storage and Retention of Recordings 
    1. No attempt shall be made to alter any part of any video surveillance recording. Devices where footage is stored may be audited to monitor any exporting of video surveillance records. 
    2. All video surveillance records shall be stored for a minimum of 14 days.  Retention beyond this period depends on available storage capacity.  Records that are part of a criminal investigation or court proceedings (criminal or civil), as part of another bona fide use as approved by the CSPD, or in response to a preservation request issued by legal counsel will be preserved for the duration of these uses. 
    3. Members of the campus community wishing to have records exported may make this request via the camera access request form.   
  8. Equipment Standards and Installation 
    1. The type of video surveillance equipment and operating platform will be determined by the current campus standard. The campus standard will be recommended jointly by CSPD and Technology, with approval of the Vice President for Business and Finance.    
    2. Individuals may not install their own unapproved surveillance equipment.  The College reserves the right to remove any unapproved surveillance equipment discovered on College property. 
    3. The VPBF and CSPD will review all proposals submitted regarding video surveillance. Upon completion of review of the project, the EDPO and CSPD will approve or deny the project for completion. 
    4. The Technology Division shall oversee the installation of all approved video surveillance equipment with the assistance of the EDPO, Plant Operations and CSPD as needed. 
  9. Existing Video Equipment  
    1. All video equipment in place as of January 1, 2024, that has been installed within the last five years must be updated to meet current campus standards within two years of the effective date of this policy. All video equipment in place as of January 1, 2024, that has been installed more than five years must be updated to meet current campus standards within one year of the effective date of this policy.  
  10. Training 
    1. Video surveillance equipment control operators shall be trained in the requirements of this procedure and the technical, legal, and ethical parameters of appropriate video surveillance equipment use.  
    2. Video surveillance equipment control operators shall receive a copy of the Acceptable Use Procedure and provide a signed acknowledgement that they have read and understood its contents. 
  11. Surveillance Record Dissemination 
    1. Video surveillance records shall not be disseminated by individual departments/divisions without following a written approval process. This is not limited to sharing exported video, but includes activities such as sharing screenshots or sharing your screen with an unauthorized person. 
    2. The VP for College Advancement and Public Relations will respond to all open record or media requests to release copies of video surveillance records in consultation with the CSPD and VPBF. Certain video surveillance records are confidential and protected from release.  
    3. The CSPD will process all internal requests for access to video in consultation with the EDPO. Certain video surveillance records are confidential and protected from release under the Tennessee Public Records Act, Tennessee Code Annotated § 10- 7-504(m). In addition, certain video surveillance records may be exempt from mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. See 5 U.S.C. 522, 41 C.F.R. Part 105-60. 
  12. Appeals 
    1. Decisions made under this policy may be appealed in writing to the President.  Decisions of the President shall be final and binding.   
    2. Link to 04:34:00 Surveillance Camera Footage Policy: SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE ACCESS REQUEST FORM  

 

Submitted to Policy Review Committee on September 25, 2023

Submitted to Policy Review Board on October 23, 2023

Approved by Policy Review Board on November 27, 2023