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Legislator demands Green Bay ditch recording devices

By: Associated Press//February 13, 2023//

Legislator demands Green Bay ditch recording devices

By: Associated Press//February 13, 2023//

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A state lawmaker is demanding city officials in Green Bay remove recording devices they installed in City Hall corridors, calling the move a brazen violation of privacy rights.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that the city installed the microphones in City Hall’s first and second floors between the winter of 2021 and the summer of 2022. Republican state Sen. Andre Jacque of De Pere told the newspaper for a story published Thursday that he was stunned to learn about the equipment and has demanded Mayor Eric Genrich remove it.

“It’s difficult to overstate just how egregiously and jaw-droppingly brazen a violation of civil rights and exposure to criminal and civil liability it is for (Genrich) to green-light snooping on his own constituents without cause,” Jacque said in a statement. “What were they thinking?

Jacque released an analysis from the state Legislative Council that found the devices could be illegal. Under state law, conversations can be legally recorded if at least one person involved is aware a recording is taking place.

The Legislative Council analysis, though, said installing the City Hall microphones could be illegal because state law also bars recording people in settings where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy and consent to record hasn’t been implied by anyone involved.

Green Bay City Council member Chris Wery on Tuesday alleged that citizens and workers are being spied on at City Hall.

City officials released a “fact sheet” about the microphone system on Friday afternoon, insisting its use is legal. Three of the 14 cameras in public areas of City Hall have audio capability and are located only on the first and second floors. Similar devices have been installed in the police department’s lobby for almost a decade, and the city transit system has had 77 cameras with video and audio capabilities for 20 years, the sheet said.

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