Back in January, we mentioned the Jail WebCam in Anderson County, TN, which showed a live video feed from the county jail there. What a neat idea! What a cool use of technology!
Well, now it's gone. A few days ago, the county sheriff said that security concerns might force the county to nix the webcam:
Some viewers have been using the cameras to harass female jailers by calling them on the telephone and taunting them as they work, according to Anderson County sheriff's officials.
In other cases, viewers are tracking inmate movements and using the information to coordinate deliveries of contraband to prisoners on work details outside the jail.
Then, yesterday, the county pulled the plug on the cam. The safety concerns were just too pressing, according to a message on the webcam's site.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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