Behind The Lens episode 156: Surveillance creep

The city finds yet another use for its expanded surveillance network. A dispute between OPSB and the New Orleans City Council over grants. And a wrap of the second week of the David Wade Correctional Center civil rights trial.

On this week’s episode, the New Orleans Fire Fighters Association and other labor advocates are raising concerns after the city government was found to have used its network of criminal surveillance cameras to support actions against city employees. 

NOLA Public School district officials asked Orleans Parish School Board to formally request that the New Orleans City Council rescind a recent resolution inserting the city administration into an education grant process — one that historically went directly to the district.

And the civil rights trial against David Wade Correctional Center is in its second week. We will get an update.

Our guests this week are reporters Marta Jewson, Nick Chrastil and Michael Isaac Stein and editor Charles Maldonado.

Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman has been in media for 35 years, most recently as Executive Director at an NPR member station in Colorado where she was responsible for new multi-platform content initiatives, strategic planning, research, branding, and non-traditional revenue generation. During her tenure she also created and launched four weekly news, public affairs and cultural affairs programs and monthly live Town Hall broadcasts. Heldman moved to New Orleans last summer with her husband and canine companion and they live happily in The Marigny.