Crime & Safety

Is Puyallup Jail Protocol More "Peeping Tom" Than Protective?

A lawsuit against the Puyallup Police Department is bringing up the question of when it's OK to film someone on a toilet.

Should you expect privacy when you do your business or change your clothes, even in jail?

That’s the question many are asking, after a lawsuit against the Puyallup Police Department revealed jail practices that many believe are more “peeping tom” than protective.

Seattle attorney Jim Egan has filed a lawsuit in Pierce County Superior Court against the Puyallup Police Department, on behalf of a dozen DUI suspects—11 women and one man, who claim their privacy rights were violated.

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Puyallup jail surveillance footage widely released yesterday shows a woman changing into a standard-issue uniform and another using the toilet. All cells are equipped with video cameras.

Egan told KING 5 that the footage seemed to mainly feature female inmates—most males were allowed to change behind an unmonitored, curtained area, he said.

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In an official statement yesterday, Puyallup Police said the safety cameras monitor and record all suspects booked into jail, regardless of gender. When booked, standard practice in Puyallup is to have the inmate change into jail garb behind a curtain, outside the direct view of cameras.

After the booking process, inmates are transferred to a holding cell which includes a toilet—and a camera.

“While at first blush it may seem a little intrusive to have a safety camera monitoring a holding cell, there are numerous reasons why these cameras are present,” said the Puyallup PD statement, including suicide risk and assault.

The women behind the lawsuit told media they felt “sickened” and taken advantage of, that certain officers are “peeping toms” and “perverts” for comments made during their stay at Puyallup Jail. There has been a call for additional criminal voyeuristic charges against PPD officers, although none have been filed at this time.

“The City believes the lawsuit has no legal merits and will vigorously and forthrightly present its’ case in a court of law,” said the police statement.

What do you think of Puyallup's jail practices? Tell us in the comments. 


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