Former EMU officer charged for allegedly hiding camera in locker room
The Brief
Former EMU officer Alex Colarossi was charged for allegedly hiding cameras in a hotel and locker room, violating the privacy of colleagues.
A cybersecurity expert advises checking for hidden cameras in hotels; suggests using phone cameras to detect infrared signals.
Colarossi resigned amid the investigation; three female victims were identified, with more digital evidence still being reviewed.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (FOX 2) - A former Eastern Michigan University police officer was charged for allegedly hiding cameras in a hotel and locker room to spy on colleagues.
What they're saying
Hotel rooms and locker rooms are where we expect the most privacy, but not in the case of 27-year-old Alex Colarossi, who was accused of concealing cameras.
The former officer for EMU allegedly hid a camera in the hotel room of a co-worker during a police union conference in Grand Rapids last January. Police say a camera was also placed in the locker room at the EMU Police Department.
Sources tell FOX 2 there are three female victims across two departments, and there is still more digital evidence to go through.
Cybersecurity expert David Derigiotis is not surprised one bit.
"These are things I'm always very paranoid about, so I'm always checking for hidden devices," he said. "I've seen blackmail cases around it or people who are just looking to take advantage of people when they're at their most vulnerable."
Derigiotis has a routine when he stays in hotels or vacation rentals.
"You can do some very low-tech things, such as looking for where there could be little pinhole cameras installed, maybe if you see an alarm clock that's tilted towards the bed. If you see power sources where a cord is plugged in, and you're not sure where it's going," he said.
For $20-$30, you can buy a hidden camera detector on Amazon. But if you don't want to take it that far, there's another route.
"I turn the lights off, and you can just simply open the camera app on the phone, scan it around, and it may pick up a very low infrared light that's blinking or shining," he said. "I think it's important to have some level of paranoia, because when it does happen, it can be very damaging; it's certainly an invasion of privacy."
What's next
Former officer Alex Colarossi resigned from EMU Police amid the state police investigation.
A statement from the chief there says in part:
"These allegations are deeply troubling to me and our entire team, and we take them very seriously. Upon becoming aware of the situation, the individual was immediately placed on administrative leave and the University initiated steps to terminate him. As the Michigan State Police, Sixth District, investigated the matter, the individual resigned his position. According to our present understanding of MSP's investigation to date, the former officer's actions appear to have been targeted to a co-worker. There is no indication of similar actions of this nature against anyone else on our campus."
The Source
FOX 2 used information from EMU police and court documents for details in this report.
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