KINGSTON – A camera belonging to County Comptroller March Gallagher, hidden at the front entrance at the UCAT building, was found in the bushes on Tuesday and according to Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger and Legislature Chairman Peter Criswell, it appears to have been recording without the knowledge and consent of UCAT employees.
In a joint statement, Metzger and Criswell said, “No county officials were informed by the comptroller about this surveillance prior to the discovery of the camera.”
But Gallagher’s office says her surveillance is within the scope of their independent investigative and audit authority, and the office has received “multiple credible allegations of the falsification of time records by management of the Ulster County Area Transit Department.”
The statement said the county already operates 10 cameras at the UCAT building on a 24-hour basis.
The county executive and chairman said, “Employees have a right to do their jobs without being secretly recorded, and any surveillance conducted without their knowledge or consent is unacceptable.”
They said Gallagher has been made aware of their concerns and the sheriff’s office, personnel department, county attorney, and CSEA leadership have been briefed on the matter.
“We want UCAT employees and the public to know that we take this seriously, and the matter is currently under review by the County Attorney’s Office,” Metzger and Criswell said in their statement.
But, the comptroller’s office said, “It’s unfortunate that this ongoing investigation has now been disclosed publicly.” The office urged any members of the community with additional information to contact the comptroller’s office.
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