Editing a recorded Zoom video meeting to remove some hacker's inappropriate meeting behavior would normally not gather so much attention. However, when it happens to be a meeting where the Bent County Sheriff is questioned about an overdrawn inmate account, it's a different story.
"Obviously, it's something that we will be monitoring that much more closely."
Bent County Commissioner Jean Sykes agreed that the timing of what they had to do, wasn't the best.
"Of all of the meetings where we would have that happen it would be that one, also the fact that I wanted nothing edited of actual people talking or those kinds of things, as I recall while we were reading the minutes."
A message on the Bent County website where the public can watch the meetings has the following message for the regularly scheduled meeting of 7/25/24:
Spammers entered the Zoom meeting with automated images and foul language, the images were not viewable on the video as the video spotlighted only the meeting room. However we had to edit out about 2 minutes of video due to the content. The interruptions began during the time the Board was reviewing minutes, no other portion of this video has been edited, nor was any discussion happening during the interruptions. An unedited version of the video is available to view at the courthouse but it is not sharable on social media due to the language content and it is important that the public be able to view the video. An unedited version of the video is available for viewing at the courthouse.
Sykes added that steps to on-line meeting security would be taken in the future by County Administrator Doug Bankert. She mentions safe guards such as changing the web link for the meeting will be done frequently but adds she wants to make sure it's still easy enough for community members to attend virtually.
"We'll have everyone either checking the webpage or uh the agenda that comes out and whatever new web link that we have or zoom link will be posted weekly," Sykes explained.
Moving forward, Sykes added that some changes will be coming that she hopes will make the county's website easier to use.
Earlier Saturday, a message was displaying on the website that states:
Unable to play this video at this time. The number of allowed playbacks has been exceeded. Please try again later.
As of 11:54 AM on Saturday, the issue had been fixed.
The meeting gathered much attention as Bent County Commissioners questioned Sheriff Jake Six about an inmate account that was overdrawn by $900 and missing nearly $90,000.
Six and Commissioners spoke on the issue for more than an hour. The portion of the Bent County Commissioners meeting from Thursday, July 25, 2024 with Sheriff Jake Six can be watched starting at time code 1:01:54 and finishing at time code 2:09:18.
(also see, https://www.coloradonewsyourway.com/post/commissioners-question-sheriff-about-overdrawn-funds-in-account)
More information:
The video was edited using Clipchamp, a free video editing software.
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