Wellesley councillors express concerns over prospect of cameras inside township vehicles

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Township of Wellesley councillors have expressed concerns over employee privacy around the potential installation of front- and driver-facing cameras in all township vehicles with an enclosed cab.

These concerns were brought up during a discussion around the township’s new electronics monitoring policy, which was ultimately approved by council at its Jan. 13 meeting.

Though the township already has the ability to monitor staff through their mobile and desk phone data, internet usage, email, data from township vehicles, key cards/fobs, and security cameras, the policy in question formalizes the township’s practice of collecting information through electronic monitoring for business purposes, which is defined as collecting data for the purpose of supporting township business as it relates to project delivery, employee performance, legal liability, IT security, financial implications and trade secrets.

“The Province of Ontario requires employers with 25 or more employees to have an electronic-monitoring policy,” township CAO Rik Louwagie said. “Basically, it’s just a written form where council approves and then staff can then see all ways the municipality can monitor their activities through electronic means.

“So, internet usage, telephone usage, GPS in vehicles, things like that … and then we will do training with staff so they’re all fully aware of the various ways that they can be monitored once this policy is passed by council.”

Within the staff report to council, it was mentioned the township is in the process of adding dash cameras to all township fleet vehicles that will be able to monitor the driver of the vehicle and their surroundings. The report said dash cameras are effective in the event a staff member is involved in an incident while in a company vehicle, footage from which could be reviewed to see exactly what happened.

While Louwagie clarified a separate dash-camera policy will come to council for approval before the township can begin using these dash cameras – especially for those installed in fire trucks, which are involved in more sensitive activities that could require a higher level of privacy – councillors expressed concerns about the cameras and their potential to invade the privacy of township employees while in their vehicles.

Coun. Claude Hergott asked whether the cameras would be able to record audio as well as video, to which Louwagie said only video would be recorded while the vehicle is running. Should employees seek privacy while on their break, say to make a phone call, Louwagie said they can simply turn off the vehicle during that time.

“There should be driver consent,” Hergott said. “What’s the feeling of the drivers? Have they expressed concerns or have you reached an agreement with the union?”

“Without getting too deep on it, yes, there are some concerns from the drivers themselves, however there is no requirement that we’ve been made aware of anywhere that requires consent. It’s a portion of the responsibility of working for the municipality,” Louwagie said. “And it is for liability purposes, why the cameras are going in. They are not meant to be monitored on a regular basis whatsoever.

“There’s basically three times we plan to monitor these, and that’s the three C’s – in the event of a collision, a claim, or a complaint. If we get one of those three events occurring, then we will have to take a look at those cameras. Other than that, there’s no intention of sitting there watching cameras.”

In response to questions from councillors around why the township needs both front- and driver-facing dash cameras, Louwagie said they allow the township to review both what was happening outside the vehicle from the driver’s perspective, and what the driver was doing immediately before, during and after a collision or an event that led to an insurance claim or complaint, allowing the township to defend their employees in those instances.

Louwagie said council will have another opportunity to explore the township’s planned use dash cameras when the dash camera policy is officially brought to council for consideration at its Jan. 27 committee of the whole meeting. All township vehicles are expected to be quipped with dash cameras this year.