ESTEVAN — The Estevan Police Service (EPS) is encouraging the community to register for the Safe Neighbourhood Camera Registry (SNCR) program, which the EPS describes as a voluntary community safety initiative that connects residents and business owners with local police investigations.
“Many homes and businesses in Estevan have doorbell cameras, CCTV systems or other security cameras that capture activity in public areas such as streets, sidewalks and parking lots,” the EPS stated on its website. “When a crime or suspicious activity occurs, nearby video footage can be a valuable investigative tool.”
The program was launched March 11. EPS says the camera registry allows officers to quickly identify and contact camera owners in the area of an incident, saving time and improving response efficiency.
The EPS stresses the program is free and voluntary, does not give police access to your camera system and does not allow live monitoring of your cameras. It does provide contact information so officers can reach out if footage might assist an investigation.
“By participating, you are helping strengthen community safety and supporting timely investigations in Estevan,” the EPS said.
Participants are asked to provide their name and contact information; address of the camera location; the type of camera system, such as doorbell or CCTV; the approximate direction the camera faces, such as street, alley or parking lot; and the typical video retention period.
Once submitted, the EPS says the information will be securely maintained for investigative purposes only.
“If an incident occurs near your location, officers may contact you to ask whether your system captured relevant footage. You may choose whether or not to share footage at that time,” the EPS said.
Speaking at the March 11 meeting of the Estevan Board of Police Commissioners, police Chief Jamie Blunden said this can also save police time, because members wouldn’t have to circulate through a neighbourhood to see if anyone saw something.
“A lot of other agencies in other cities already have this going, so it would be a benefit for the city,” said Blunden.
Just because the camera is registered doesn’t mean the EPS would have access to it, Blunden said.
He would like to see all of the businesses in town participating. Blunden compared the SNCR to a neighbourhood watch, so the more people involved the better.
“If a crime happens on the street, we can go onto the website, find out there is a camera registered and then we reach out and say ‘Do you mind sharing that with us?’ You still have the right to say no,” said Blunden.
People can update or withdraw their registration at any time.
The EPS added the SNCR does not provide police with access to your live feed or recordings and does not connect to your camera system. It does not allow remote viewing and is not used for proactive monitoring.
“The registry is simply a secure list of camera locations and contact information.”
Information will only be accessed by authorized members of the EPS and only for the purpose of contacting people regarding a specific investigation.
Participation is voluntary, and sharing footage is always a person’s choice.
