Target 11: Former city employee may have ignored alerts regarding broken surveillance cameras

PITTSBURGH — The former city employee in charge of surveillance cameras around Pittsburgh allegedly shut down the email alerts notifying her of broken cameras, a source close to the investigation told Target 11.

RELATED: Former city employee being investigated regarding operation of Pittsburgh's security cameras

City surveillance cameras experiencing technical difficulties send out an email alert. Target 11’s Rick Earle learned that the former city employee responsible for the camera allegedly shut down the entire alert system and deleted the information of others who were supposed to receive alerts.

“The employee no longer works for the city. There were failures along that way that should have been notified   or should have had some sort of oversight that didn't,” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said.

Peduto said the employee covered her tracks by using old images taken when the cameras had been working. The employee took a leave of absence and did not return.

Target 11 was told a city police officer first raised questions earlier this year, which led to the problems being uncovered.

Peduto ordered a full investigation by the Office of Municipal Investigations, which will determine if the case should be referred to authorities for criminal charges.

The whole operation has been moved to the Public Safety Department with a larger oversight.

The mayor said the investigation should be completed in approximately two weeks.

Cox Media Group