Last week, a twenty-five year old woman using the bathroom in a Starbucks store in Atlanta, reported the camera she found under the diaper changing table to the police. Both local officials and Starbucks itself is now investigating the matter.
The camera had a few dozen videos on it, with several ones of people using the restroom. It has since been confiscated by the police. There have been no suspects named as yet, although the police have said that the person who installed the camera in the bathroom will be charged at the very least with eavesdropping, which is a felony.
The woman who found the camera told the manager about it, who said that the matter would be reported to Starbuck’s corporate office. She insisted, however, on calling 911.
A Starbucks representative wrote in response to the incident, “We were quite concerned to learn this and are grateful to our customers and partners who took action to involve local authorities. We will continue to support them in any way we can.”
Police have issued a warning for people to be aware of being exposed to hidden cameras by noticing what is in your surroundings. Officer Howard Miller said, “If you’re in a restroom that’s not yours, be sure you look around and check hidden areas that aren’t very visible. Unfortunately, this seems to be happening more often than you would think.”
This is the second time in just a span of days that the coffeehouse chain has faced backlash, since the recent arrest of two black men who were sitting in a Starbucks in Philadelphia. An employee had needlessly called the police to report the men, who were waiting for a friend.
Starbucks announced that it will be closing 8,000 branches on May 29 for the purpose of racial-bias training for its baristas and other staff. Kevin Johnson, Starbucks Chief Executive, said, “While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution.”