Timmay writes “Yahoo! News: A law protecting library records’ confidentiality has hamstrung officials pursuing a man who reportedly masturbated among the books at the Neenah Public Library earlier this month. City Attorney James Godlewski said the library can’t turn a surveillance video of the man over to police without a court order.
“That is state law,” Godlewski said Monday. “The library is merely following what state law says.””
So get an order
Cops use search warrants all the time. Simple request, as long as they have probably cause to believe the pervert is on the tape they can get it.
They could also argue that the tape is not a patron record (It is not in Florida – remember the kid with the toy gun in the elevator at the Largo Library)
This is really a non issue. An AGO opinion is just that an opinion. This needs to be brought before the Court for clarification. If surveillance videos can be considered confidential patron records why have them at all. Please this is such nonsense.