Three suspects were nabbed through the use of hidden surveillance cameras on the College of Lake County campus in Grayslake in the last six years, college officials said Friday.
Nonetheless, William Griffin, chairman of the board of trustees, announced a new policy on surveillance, saying hidden cameras would be used only when mandated by court order or a law enforcement agency.
Discovery of the concealed video cameras in January touched off a furor over privacy, leading college officials to remove the cameras and promise an investigation.
After a two-week investigation, President Gretchen Naff on Friday described nine instances in which the concealed cameras were used to combat theft and vandalism between October 1992 and December.
As a result, a custodian was caught in the act of committing a minor theft in 1992, a visitor was caught vandalizing the men’s bathrooms in 1994, and a custodian was caught using a computer without authorization. One custodian resigned, one was reprimanded, and the vandal paid restitution for the damages, officials said.
Five hidden video devices were located in the investigation, in which more than 30 current and former employees were questioned. Such devices are legal, Naff said, but their use was discontinued shortly after the cameras were discovered.
The legality of a small listening device uncovered in the investigation is uncertain, and the findings were turned over to the Lake County state’s attorney’s office for an opinion and possible action.
Two visible security cameras were used on the campus between 1991 and 1996.
Naff and Griffin expressed regrets and apologies for the use of the hidden cameras.
“The college did not achieve the right balance between privacy and security concerns,” Naff said.
