BATAVIA — The City of Batavia has invested a lot into capturing views both of and for police; body cameras, dashboard cameras, even remotely-accessible cameras pointed 24-7 on known trouble spots.
“But usually when a crime happens, there’s not an officer standing there with a body camera on,” Detective Eric Hill said.
Hill said that in many cases, police spend the early part of an investigation knocking on doors. Eyewitnesses are great, but even better is a security camera.
A hit-and-run, a robbery, even a fistfight — Hill says just about any criminal investigation can benefit from the increasingly common use of cameras at homes and businesses.
The Batavia Police Department is working to build a database of private surveillance cameras as a resource to quickly determine if another view is possible.
Citizens and business are invited to register their cameras with police, a process Hill said removes none of the privacy rights of partnering users. Police would not be able to access them without permission or control the use of a camera. They would be able to offer recommendations for residents on how to better utilize their surveillance set-up, but it would only be a recommendation, Hill said.
The Batavia SafeCam Registration Program would only be activated in the event of an incident, Hill said. Officers responding to the scene of a violent act or other crime would be able to see a list of what nearby addresses have verified security cameras.
“It’s really valuable — it’s a time-saver, because we go out to the houses around there (already),” Hill said. “Instead of taking an hour to knock on doors, we could just go down our list. It’s a great way to have citizens get involved in the process of keeping their streets safe.”
Hill said that even interior cameras at a business can inadvertently show a suspect fleeing the scene of a crime. Privately-owned cameras have assisted with burglaries, fatal accidents, even a homicide, according to the BPD.
To register, visit the police department website at www.batavianewyork.com/police-department/webforms/batavia-safecam-program. Registration forms can also be picked up at Batavia Police Headquarters at 10 W. Main St.
Source: The Daily News
The Sonitrol Multi-Sensor is a cube style, indoor 2MP color camera that goes far beyond IP video. An all-in-one solution, this multi-sensor camera provides built-in features such as WiFi connectivity, motion detection, 2-way audio capability and glass break detection. In addition to being light-weight with a small footprint, this camera can provide edge-based recording to the optional on-board SD card and be accessed via the entire 3xLOGIC VIGIL software suite including your mobile device.