Alaska's largest municipality established a Classical Ombudsman in 1977. The Municipal Ombuds reports to the Assembly and is empowered to investigate municipal agencies and recommend changes. The Ombuds office is located in city-owned building that also houses the Mayor, Assembly, and several other administrative departments. In a memo to the city assembly members last week, the Municipal Ombudsman Darrel Hess accused Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson of "downloading copies of City Hall surveillance videos to see who is accessing the Ombudsman's Office." Hess said that the accusations could constitute a breach of duty, misconduct, or illegal activity and referred the matter to the local prosecutor. Subsequently, the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office referred the case to the Anchorage District Attorney. (Anchorage Ombuds Memo; via Anchorage Daily News.)
The erosion of visitor privacy in the face of ever increasing digital surveillance is, of course, a concern for all Ombuds.
My campus is loaded with video cameras and it is almost impossible for someone to get to my office without being on camera--one with facial recognition software. Smile!
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