Swissvale police Chief Dominic Nuzzo says that a hidden surveillance camera, set up in an effort to nab whomever is stealing software and ransacking case files, has been disconnected. The camera was hidden in the ceiling of a small room that the police department uses to book suspects, interview witnesses and store files. People other than police officers generally do not have access to the room. 'It's embarrassing for this to be out in the public. You're supposed to be dealing with mature police officers here,' Nuzzo said. Nuzzo said the borough installed a hidden camera Feb. 20 but that it was disconnected last Saturday after the camera was discovered by a part-time police officer. Nuzzo said he has had a series of problems going back many months at the Roslyn Street police station. He said in one instance, someone used a tire iron to break into a supply cabinet. No one has come forward to say who did it. More than $600 in computer software has been stolen from the department, Nuzzo said. He said that affidavits and citations also have been taken from the department. 'I've had an arrest warrant taken (from the room). Fortunately, the magistrate had a copy of it,' Nuzzo said. Part-time patrolman Ryan Wooten, who is also a sergeant in the Braddock Hills Police Department, filed a formal report when he discovered the camera. The report was available Monday in the Swissvale Police Department. Wooten said he overheard other officers talking about the camera and decided to look for it. He said he found an 8mm camera with a remote feed hidden in the ceiling in the corner of the squad room closest to the entrance. 'It made me very nervous; it made me fearful,' said Wooten, adding that he did not remove the camera from its hiding place in the ceiling. Nuzzo said he will not review the camera's tapes because nothing happened to the filing cabinet while the camera was in operation. 'I'm not going to sit down and look at 24 hours of film when nothing happened,' Nuzzo said. The owner of a local security company said it is perfectly legal for the department to install a hidden camera, but employees might feel that their civil rights are being violated. 'Is covert surveillance legal• The answer is yes. It's just how far the employees want to take it as an invasion of their privacy,' said Glenn Harlow, who owns General Alarm Services based in Pittsburgh. Harlow said most employers notify employees in writing or through a sign that there is a camera on the premises. 'The thing that makes it a little out of the ordinary is that it's in a police station,' Harlow said. 'As a police officer, you would think that they were doing everything OK and they should have no problem.' Daniel Reynolds can be reached at dreynolds@tribweb.com or (412) 380-8533 .

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