Audit: No control over access to Chicago safety cameras

CHICAGO (AP) - An audit of Chicago's 2,700 public safety cameras by the city's inspector general has found a lack of control over who has access to the cameras.

Inspector General Joseph Ferguson's office says the audit concluded that Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communication doesn't have a "reasonable assurance" that cameras can only be accessed by approved personnel. That's because group logins are used to access the camera system.

Four years ago there was an investigation into allegations that somebody manipulated a camera to avoid recording an arrest. The audit noted that the risk of that happening again remains because of the group logins.

OEMC officials say that by next spring users will be required to access the system using personal login credentials.

The American Civil Liberties Union called the audit results "disturbing."