The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has closed an investigation that began after a hidden recording device was found inside the Escambia County administrator’s office in Pensacola.
County Administrator Janice Gilley said she first became concerned when details of a private conversation in her office began circulating publicly. FDLE agents swept her office on the fourth floor of the county building at Palafox and Government streets and discovered a device capable of recording both video and audio.
“I’d hate for someone’s personal information to be inappropriately released,” Gilley said. “We don’t have any top secret conversations in my office but there are private sensitive issues that are discussed. I mean we have employee issues, we have disciplinary issues, union issues.”
Commissioners’ offices were also swept, but no additional devices were found.
Gilley joined Commissioner Jeff Bergosh for his virtual “Coffee With A Commissioner” session, where some viewers suggested the device may have been planted by someone with easy access to her office. Bergosh agreed that whoever placed it would have needed access to the space.
Gilley said surveillance cameras are limited on the fourth floor, though the building is monitored and access is tracked for anomalies such as late-night or weekend entries. The county has taken bids and is awaiting a vendor to install cipher locks with keypads on some office doors.
FDLE ended its investigation without determining who placed the device or what information, if any, was captured.