When a person videotapes a township meeting, is it OK to post it on YouTube if the video includes images of a police officer? And is it OK for township residents to make Facebook posts that describe where the officer is?

As the Schuylkill Township meeting began Wednesday night, officer Jennifer Dempsey was working at the desk in the police department office. Supervisor Christine Verdier, seeing that resident Paul Benulis had not set up his video camera on its tripod, as he's done at past meetings, asked if he planned to video the meeting. If he wasn't, Dempsey could attend the meeting and sit at a front table near the supervisors. In the past, Benulis has recorded the meetings and put them on YouTube.Verdier said she'd discussed the videotaping with Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman, who advised against it. Various police officers are part of the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force, and videos or pictures of them should not be publicly shared to help ensure their safety.Benulis questioned that decision, but the issue became moot as Dempsey left to respond to a call.Later in the meeting, during public comment, Rich Magnani of Brockton, referred to Facebook posts which reveal the officer's location. Dempsey works part-time for the township."I have a problem with the idiots who are putting that out there," Magnani said. "Her life is in danger, and our properties are in danger, because of whoever is posting this stupid stuff online."Magnani said that because of the Facebook posts, a person could decide that since the officer was in a certain place, there was time to commit a crime in another area of the township.In other action the supervisors:• Decided that spare keys to the township police officer's and secretary's office will be kept in a safety deposit box, which will also contain sealed envelopes which list passwords for various computer programs. The safety deposit box, from Riverview Bank in Pottsville, will cost the township $10 annually. The township will develop a policy on who can access the safety deposit box.• Discussed a solution to the issue of township employees using personal credit cards for purchases. Last month, Supervisor Chuck Fayash had also questioned whether officials could use personal credit cards for township purchases, if doing so resulted in the cardholder receiving rewards such as points, cash back or flight miles. During Wednesday night's meeting, Verdier said that she'd researched the issue, and learned of a local government program called Procurement Card.Verdier said the program could be helpful to the township. She said that she would investigate further and report back at the next meeting.