Should Yellowknife's pool have security cameras, councillor asks after 'inappropriate' incident

A Yellowknife city councillor is asking whether the pool should get security cameras after RCMP responded to an incident involving "inappropriate behaviour" earlier this month.

Coun. Adrian Bell asked the question at the city's municipal services committee meeting on Monday. There are currently no security cameras at the pool. 

​"The question is, is the solution to [this incident] a camera?" Bell asked. "Or is there some other solution that would be considered?"

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It's unclear what the incident was. Pool staff were "made aware of the behaviour of one patron and notified the RCMP," stated the city in an email. 

RCMP confirmed to CBC News that they received a report of "an alleged suspicious person" at a public facility on Aug. 11. According to RCMP spokesperson Marie York-Condon, police were given a description of the person but they were not found. 

The city's senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett was apprehensive about potentially installing cameras until she better understood the need to have one.

Security cameras don't always do a lot.- Rebecca Alty, city councillor

She said currently there are security policies at the pool, which include staff reporting inappropriate behaviour to a supervisor and calling RCMP.

"It's a real balancing act," she said. "We really want to make sure that we balance safety and security, with ensuring the protection of privacy for residents as well."

A new security camera policy was established in February, following allegations they were misused by the head of municipal enforcement.

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According to the policy, a security camera system must only be established and used when "it is demonstrably necessary to address a specific issue … the loss of privacy is proportional to the need to address the specific issue … [and] there are no feasible less privacy-invasive ways of addressing the specific issue."

Bassi-Kellet told councillors to keep some questions in mind: "What is the problem that we're ... seeking to address by installing a camera, and is the camera the best solution to doing so?"

The policy notes cameras can't be used in areas where privacy is expected, such as change rooms and washrooms.

If installed, the cameras would point toward the entrance of the pool, and only capture people coming and going.

Councillors were mixed on whether this would be useful or not.

"Security cameras don't always do a lot," said Coun. Rebecca Alty.

"If we're really looking to get some good technology to be able to help in cases where there may be an incident, they'd have to make sure that we're purchasing security cameras that are going to meet our needs."

Alty suggested the city should consult with RCMP for tips on how it could better help future investigations into incidents at the pool.

"Jumping to security cameras might not be the solution to help the RCMP."

Camera could help find offenders

Coun. Steve Payne disagreed.

Payne said it could be useful to have footage of people coming in and out of the building.

"I'm pretty sure that the RCMP would accept that footage rather than having none," he said.

In May firefighters and RCMP were called to the pool after a toilet paper dispenser was set on fire in the women's change room.

• Fire in women's change room at Yellowknife pool deemed suspicious

"A camera in the lobby probably would have helped pinpoint who that person may have been [who set the fire]," said Coun. Niels Konge.

Coun. Bell will now decide whether he wants to put a motion forward to council to install a camera.