Vallejo police are investigating the discovery of a hidden camera in a public restroom within the maternal and child health unit of Kaiser Vallejo Medical Center on June 23, according to public records and a nurse’s union representative.
Police were dispatched to the hospital at approximately 5 p.m. after an employee called to report the discovery, according to public records. The employee told police they were sitting in the restroom when they found a box of gloves with a small hole turned in the direction of the bathroom stall, records show. When the staffer opened the box, they found a smartphone recording the stalls.
A Kaiser employee with knowledge of the matter told Open Vallejo the bathroom is used by both patients and staff. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the incident.
A police dispatch record dated June 23 noted that “a bunch of boxes with pinholes” were discovered in other restrooms, though a June 24 staff-wide memo from Vallejo Kaiser management, obtained by Open Vallejo, noted that no additional recording devices were found.
Raquel Benito, a registered nurse at Kaiser Vallejo and a California Nurses Association representative, confirmed in a statement to Open Vallejo that the phone was discovered in a bathroom of the hospital’s maternal and child health unit.
“We want our patients to know that we will always put their safety first,” Benito wrote. “We will keep speaking up as we do regularly with the collective power of our union.”
Vallejo police spokesperson Sgt. Rashad Hollis confirmed that police collected the phone as evidence but declined to confirm how many boxes were found, citing the ongoing investigation. Hollis declined to comment on whether Vallejo police could unlock the phone or if the department contacted any outside agencies for technical assistance.
“If someone is a victim, we will reach out to them, or at least do our best to figure out who they are,” Hollis said.
Kaiser Vallejo management directed staff to submit any tips on the investigation to its internal investigators, according to the June 24 staff-wide message, and offered confidential support through their Employee Assistance Program.
“Kaiser Permanente takes matters of safety and security seriously,” a Kaiser spokesperson wrote in a statement to Open Vallejo on Wednesday. “We are working with law enforcement and continue to look for opportunities to enhance safety for our members, visitors, patients, and employees.”
The Kaiser spokesperson did not answer detailed questions about the incident.
