Wichita Eagle Logo

Camera found at YMCA hidden in clothing hook, police say | The Wichita Eagle

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Eagle+ Sign In
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • About Us

    • News
    • Crime & Courts
    • Local
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Lottery
    • Nation & World
    • Politics
    • Special Projects
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Finger on the Weather
    • Prairie Politics
    • Sports
    • Wichita State
    • Varsity Kansas
    • Chiefs
    • K-State
    • Kansas
    • Outdoors
    • Royals
    • State Colleges
    • Wingnuts
    • NBC baseball
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Bob Lutz
    • Jayhawk Dispatch
    • K-Stated
    • Lutz Blog
    • Michael Pearce
    • Shockwaves
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Health Care
    • Small Business
    • Forward Wichita
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Air Capital Insider
    • Business Casual
    • Business Perspectives
    • Carrie Rengers
    • Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Suzanne Tobias
    • Entertainment
    • The Arts
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Restaurants
    • Events
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dining with Denise
    • Movie Maniac
    • Keeper of the Plans
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Richard Crowson
    • Kirk Seminoff's Pivot Point
  • Obituaries

    • Classifieds
    • Auctions/Estate Sales
    • Garage Sales
    • Jobs
    • Legal Notices
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Service Directory
    • Place An Ad
    • Merchandise
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Apartments
    • Other Categories
    • Classified Support Center
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Mobile & Apps

News

Camera found at YMCA hidden in clothing hook, police say

BY STAN FINGER

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 17, 2011 12:00 AM

It looked like a typical clothing hook, attached to the back of the door leading into a changing room for families at the North Branch YMCA.

But there was a pinhole camera hidden inside, police say, and from where it was placed it had a clear view of most of the room.

The camera was discovered when a woman accidentally knocked it to the floor on Monday. She turned it over to police.

"There is no explicit images of any children" in the footage discovered on the camera, Lt. Randy Reynolds of the Wichita Police Department's sex crimes unit said Friday.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Reynolds would not say what the footage contains, only that a time stamp indicates it was shot between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. June 10.

The footage could not be viewed or accessed remotely, Reynolds said.

Investigators want to hear from anyone who used the changing room at that time so they can identify who is on the footage. People are asked to call the sex crimes unit at 316-268-4157 or 316-268-4137.

Police also want to hear from anyone who noticed suspicious behavior at the North Branch Y at 3330 N. Woodlawn late last week. Those people can call the sex crimes unit or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Investigators aren't sure how long the camera had been in the changing room, Reynolds said, but there is no footage earlier than June 10. The black clothing hook is about 4 1/2 inches tall and 1 1/2 inches wide.

The hook used an adhesive on the back. The camera can be purchased off the Internet for about $40, Reynolds said.

"The device is not something that would stand out," Reynolds said. "It's certainly something that could have shown up anywhere."

That's why police are making the device containing the hidden camera public.

"They could be in changing rooms anywhere," he said, including clothing stores and health clubs.

"Certainly, there's no legitimate purpose for putting up something like that," Reynolds said, adding that it's "alarming" that the device is so readily available.

"Don't just assume that because you're behind closed doors that it's private," he said.

YMCA officials searched their branches around the Wichita metropolitan area and found no other hidden cameras, he said.

Shelly Conrady, communications director for the Greater Wichita YMCA, said it was the first time a secret recording device had been found in a local YMCA locker room.

She said YMCA employees are now being trained to detect hidden cameras and are being asked to conduct regular checks of locker rooms.

She said employees are being told that if they do find a hidden device, they should leave it alone and notify YMCA officials.

"We are taking this very seriously," Conrady said. "The safety and privacy of our members is a top priority."

Joe Oxler, manager of the Rock Road branch of Genesis Health Clubs, called news of the camera hidden inside a clothing hook "shocking" and "disturbing."

Employees perform checks of locker rooms every 30 minutes "to keep an eye on anything like that," Oxler said, as well as pick up towels and wipe down counters.

Members are forbidden to use cellphones inside the locker rooms because so many now have cameras as well, Oxler said.

Employees have been told to "keep an extra eye out" in the wake of news about the hidden camera, Oxler said.

"It can be tough," he said. "We're not in that locker room 24 hours a day."

Related stories from Wichita Eagle

crime

Police examine camera found in YMCA locker room

June 15, 2011 12:00 AM

  Comments  

Videos

Governor discusses number of issues after Chamber speech

Slow down in winter weather, or else this might happen

View More Video

Trending Stories

Teacher got her long hair cut short because she was tired of 5-year-old Texas bullies

February 17, 2019 11:02 AM

Former coach is fifth ex-employee to sue Newman University in less than a year

February 17, 2019 01:09 PM

Bruce Weber stays positive as K-State looks to bounce back at West Virginia

February 17, 2019 02:15 PM

Cincinnati’s defense suffocates Shockers, snapping their four-game winning streak

February 17, 2019 02:10 PM

Kansas State-West Virginia basketball lineups, tipoff time, TV info and a prediction

February 17, 2019 02:13 PM

Read Next

The Latest: Syrian activists say 10 killed in Idlib bombings

Nation & World

The Latest: Syrian activists say 10 killed in Idlib bombings

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 18, 2019 07:30 AM

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics say two bomb blasts have struck the northwestern city of Idlib, killing at least 10 people.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

DNA testing needed to help identify mystery animal that viciously attacked NC teacher

National

DNA testing needed to help identify mystery animal that viciously attacked NC teacher

February 18, 2019 06:37 AM
Rare bulldog stolen and taken 2,000 miles, but dogged police officers track it down

National

Rare bulldog stolen and taken 2,000 miles, but dogged police officers track it down

February 18, 2019 06:52 AM
Border wall a complex issue for 2020 prospect Beto O’Rourke

National Politics

Border wall a complex issue for 2020 prospect Beto O’Rourke

February 18, 2019 08:06 AM

National Politics

Donor honors newspaper shooting victims with scholarship

February 18, 2019 08:04 AM

National Politics

Indiana Senate panel hearing state hate crimes bill

February 18, 2019 08:03 AM

Celebrities

Million-selling ‘Questioneers’ team readies new picture book

February 18, 2019 08:03 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Information
  • Digital Advertising
  • Rates
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story