MUKILTEO — Snohomish County prosecutors have been asked to decide whether anyone should face criminal charges after a surveillance camera was discovered in December, hidden in an employee-only restroom on the ferry Cathlamet.
Results of the Washington State Patrol investigation are complete and have been sent to prosecutors in Everett for a decision, patrol Sgt. Freddy Williams said.
The surveillance camera investigation began after one engine room employee accused another of installing the device in a restroom not accessible to the public. The patrol’s investigation examined “various allegations of workplace misconduct,” said Joan Cavagnaro, the county’s chief criminal deputy prosecutor. A ferry system employee remains on paid administrative leave in connection with the case, said Marta Coursey, communications director for the ferry system.
Meanwhile, a separate state Department of Transportation investigation turned up no evidence anyone was using wireless onboard computers in the pilot houses of ferries used on the Mukilteo-to-Clinton run to view Internet porn, Coursey said.
Hard drives removed in March from computers on the Kittitas and Cathlamet were examined.
“They still found people using the system more than they want them to be,” including engaging in online banking, searching for real estate and visiting entertainment Web sites, Coursey said.
Ferry employees were not browsing the Web while the vessel was under way, Coursey said. A team at the ferry system is working to develop methods of ensuring appropriate computer use.
The alleged computer misuse came to light after a labor dispute. A ferry worker refused to take an assignment inside the pilot house, claiming one of the ship’s captains had created a hostile work environment by using the vessel’s wireless connection to view adult-oriented content, according to a source knowledgeable about the ferry system.
The ferry system plans to handle that complaint and the results of the investigation as personnel matters, and that likely will entail discussions between the parties involved, Coursey said.
Reporter Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com.
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