VIDA Fitness responds to locker room camera concerns at DC gyms

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Washington D.C. gym chain VIDA Fitness is responding to member concerns over cameras installed in men’s locker room areas at its U Street and Logan Circle locations.

DC News Now reported these concerns Tuesday, with members sharing photos of cameras pointed at sinks and positioned near lockers and showers.

In response to DC News Now’s request for comment, VIDA owner David von Storch said in part, “The way we rolled out this initiative was, to be blunt, terrible. We are starting over at Logan Circle by sharing information about the problem, the solutions proposed and to solicit member feedback prior to installing cameras at the Logan Circle location.”

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He also noted that despite the approach being “both legal and proven to catch and deter theft,” members are uncomfortable with it.

“We will not have video surveillance of the sink area and walk way of the Men’s Locker Room.  We will still have security cameras at the entrance to the locker rooms, but nothing that captures anything in the locker room itself.”

Members who spoke with DC News Now on Tuesday threatened to cancel their memberships if the cameras stayed in their current locations.

Members also questioned how the footage would be used and stored.

VIDA says the cameras won’t be monitored in real-time, and footage will be erased monthly.

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