Police in Cranston, R.I., Seeking Voluntary Registration of Video Surveillance Cameras
Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist says the program will help identify criminals and shorten investigations.
More and more police departments around the country are reaching out to the public to help gather more access to surveillance footage of crimes.
CRANSTON, R.I. — Another town’s police department is reaching out to the public to register their video surveillance cameras.
The Cranston Police Department launched the voluntary program on Wednesday which asks homeowners and business owners to register their outdoor security cameras to help police investigate crimes.
“There are so many surveillance cameras out there with the reduced cost of these cameras and the quality that they record at,” Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist told WPRI Eyewitness News.
The news comes following a similar program in Manahattan Beach, Calif. If police have knowledge of where surveillance cameras are located, they can reach out to the owners of cameras in an area where a crime was committed to gather video evidence to assist in catching criminals.
Not only will the cameras help them identify criminals, they’ll shorten the time of investigations, Winquist says.
“Video has helped us quite a bit,” he said. “The media also helps us when we put a photograph out and it’s a good clear photograph, we find that we get a lot of input from the public and solve quite a few crimes.”
The police cannot access the cameras remotely and must obtain permission from the owner before seeking footage from one of the registered surveillance cameras.
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