Who’s in the Wrong?

In 2013, charges were brought against a female police officer, Laurie Gillespie, in Battle Creek, Michigan, for theft. Department leaders told Gillespie that video footage had caught her searching through other officers’ coats and stealing money from one officer’s pocket. The twist? The video had been filmed in the women’s locker room. When a meeting was held with various higher-ups, Officer Gillespie, and her union representative, the video of the theft was shown. Footage showed female officers dressing and undressing, and it brought up the question of whether or not this was an invasion of privacy. In return, Gillespie and three other female officers sued the city and the police department. An unknown settlement was reached out of court, but the department maintained that they had spoken to legal counsel before installing cameras and had been told it would be all right as long as a female put the cameras there.