VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — If you have a private surveillance camera, the Vancouver police would like to be able to utilize it in investigations.
The Community Camera Registration Program is being launched by the Vancouver police. Authorities said the program allows residents and business owners to register the location of their surveillance cameras and the capability of their systems.
Once a camera is registered, police would only contact the camera owners “if there is a criminal incident in the vicinity of the registered camera.”
And, officials said, “The Vancouver Police Department will not be able to access video footage directly.”
In a statement, Vancouver Police Chief James McElvain said, “The goal of this program is to empower residents by taking a community wide approach to policing. We are excited to take our community partnership efforts to the next level with the Community Camera Registration Program.”
Other area police departments, including Portland and Beaverton, have similar programs. In fact, Beaverton launched theirs in 2016, Portland in 2017.