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Security Cameras (draft)

To ensure the safety of our members and the security of our shared space and equipment, we use a video camera system. We want to be transparent about how this system is used, who has access, and how we protect our members' privacy. Your trust and safety are our top priorities.

Our Guiding Principles

  • Our camera system is in place to augment existing safety and security measures. Its primary role is to help protect members, their projects, and makerspace property, especially during unstaffed hours when the space is most vulnerable.

  • This system is not for monitoring member activity in real-time. We respect the privacy of everyone in our space.

How We Handle Camera Footage

To balance security with privacy, we follow these strict guidelines:

  • Access is Limited: Only current Board Members and Makerspace staff (including Area Leads) have access to the camera system and its recordings. 

  • Investigating Incidents: The Board and staff members may review camera footage to investigate specific events, such as:

    • Determining the cause of injury to a person.

    • Identifying how equipment or property was damaged

    • Identifying why a tool area or common area was left messy or unusable
    • Identifying the owner of lost or missing property

  • Code of Conduct: Video evidence may be used as part of a formal Code of Conduct investigation.

Data Retention

Camera footage is automatically deleted after 30 days. The only exception is if a specific clip is needed for an active Code of Conduct investigation or legal matter, in which case it will be securely retained only for as long as it is needed.

Sharing Footage with Outside Parties

Protecting our members' privacy is a responsibility we take very seriously. We will not share footage with outside parties except under specific legal circumstances:

  • Law Enforcement: We will not provide footage to any law enforcement agency without a valid judicial warrant issued by a related to an active investigation.

  • Civil Matters: We will not provide footage to any other person or organization without a legally binding subpoena issued by a local, state, or federal court.

Warrant Canary

A warrant canary is a regularly published statement that a service provider has not received a secret government subpoena. If we are ever served with such a subpoena, we will be legally prohibited from telling you. However, we can stop publishing this statement.

As of July 8, 2025, Bellingham Makerspace has:

  • Never received a National Security Letter or a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court order.

  • Never been subject to a gag order by a FISA court.

  • Never been asked by any government organization to provide access to member data or camera footage in secret.

If this section is ever removed from this policy, you should assume that we have received a secret warrant or subpoena.

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