Hanover Police is taking part in a program that allows people with cameras to register with the service, in hopes of enhancing policing efforts.
Police Chief Christopher Knoll says the department recently joined the CamSafe program, which provides a list of people with cameras who registered with the program. Police can use this database to ask for access to these devices to help with investigations.
“It gives us an opportunity to see who in our community has cameras, where those cameras are located and how we would go about contacting the owner of those cameras so that we can access that information. It allows us to check an area of interest as a means of furthering an investigation, finding a missing person, maybe a wandering person with dementia, stolen property, identify other witnesses and all kinds of things,” says Knoll.
He says police will not be able to live stream cameras, and will only be able to access footage once given permission.
Knoll adds the list of people with cameras is not restricted to businesses, as anyone with doorbell cameras or any other form of footage can sign on to the program.
Hanover Police joining CamSafe is also just in time for Crime Prevention Week, which runs from Nov. 6 to Nov. 12, where those who register will have the chance to win a daily prize draw.
“Every camera in our community has the power to further these investigations and make our community safer and more secure for everyone,” says Knoll.
More information can be found on the CamSafe website here.