The security camera at the Sandpiper Pub is aimed at the sinks and hand-drying area of the men’s washroom. Bill Lawrence, co-owner of the pub and a White Rock councillor, says the camera housing is in plain view.

The ceiling-mounted camera is not aimed at urinals or stalls.

A camera in the men’s washroom at the Sandpiper Pub in White Rock is putting the focus on privacy concerns over surveillance in public areas. The camera —attached to the ceiling, in plain view, with lens pointed at the sink area— was installed a few years ago after instances of vandalism to the sinks and paper-towel dispensers, said co-owner and White Rock councillor Bill Lawrence.

“When you have individuals who don’t respect other people’s property, I take offense to that, and so does my pocketbook,” said Lawrence, who has co-owned the popular beachfront pub for 17 years. “I don’t know when was the last time you checked the cost of bathroom fixtures, but they’re not cheap.”

Cameras in washrooms are not illegal, except when used for voyeuristic purposes. But their installation in areas where there is a ?heightened expectation of privacy,? such as public washrooms, contravenes federal and provincial privacy guidelines.

British Columbia privacy laws also require organizations to notify individuals of the use of video surveillance before they are captured on camera. […]