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when it happened," said Mr. Toth to the question of whether the suspect was the first to be sent back.

On the basis of the film, the suspect was later convicted in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of petty larceny. ’ Commonwealth’s Attorney Peter Luke said last week that he was informed of the videotape evidence when the school’s administration approached him about filing theft charges.

He said that he was not aware of any legal requirement that the commonwealth’s attorney be notified in -advance of their use. “It was on school property, and off the top of my head I assume that if they want to put cameras in the hallways, or monitor the cafeteria, thev can do that. ‘ “In bathrooms, or in locker 'rooms,” Mr. Luke continued, “that might be a different question. But in areas open to the general public, I’m pot aware of any requirement to seek the permission or advice of the ^commonwealth’s attorney. ’’ School administrators, he added, have authority under the state code “to use measures they deem appropriate to ideal with problems.” ' Obviously, Mr. Luke said, “if you -put them in bathroom stalls you might have some problems with in-vasion of privacy, but they way they’ve been used, I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Mr. Luke emphasized that, "I don’t want to leave the connotation that there is anything WTong or devious about this. There is nothingimproper in the use of a camera” in the conduct of a criminal investigation.

In fact, Mr. Luke said, the ques- tion of admissibility of the videotape ' as evidence in the trial of the student -“came up, it was argued, and the .judge ruled to allow it. In a court test, it was approved.”

And, the prosecutor added, “I’ll tell you one thing: In a criminal case it’s pretty convincing evidence. You bring in a film and show the person taking the stuff. From a prosecutor’s point of view, it’s about the best evidence you can get. ”

In the second instance, the video camera was used in the RCHS commons area after school.

“We work on prevention,” said Mr. Toth, reporting that the new areas of the high school have experienced “minor — very minor — problems that if left unchecked could become major problems.”

Cigarette butts have been found in the carpeted auditorium, indicating that students are gaining entrance and smoking there despite locked doors, the principal said. Also, footprints were discovered on the tops of the $700-$800 tables in the commons area, he reported.

“This causes me a great deal of Concern,” he said, noting that $1.7 million of the taxpayers’ money was spent on the high school expansion. “We have a very nice facility now, and I want to make sure the students take good care of it.

“We try to set up supervision as best we can over all the areas students have access to, but we can’t be in all places at all times,” Mr. Toth continued. Students are allowed to Use the commons area after school to study or to wait for athletic practice to begin and “we pop our heads in there to see how things are going,” but there is no full-time monitor for