COVINGTON, KY. – Teresa Holt is aware of crime in her neighborhood. A few months ago her grandson's bike was stolen right off her front porch.
The same street was the target of several attempted car break-ins. Some were caught on home surveillance cameras.
Now Covington police want to make private cameras part of a community surveillance program. Police are asking residents and business owners to register their video surveillance systems with police in case they happen to catch a crime.
Assistant Chief Brian Steffen says the idea is to “create a database that we can go to for a specific neighborhood, for a specific location, that will readily show us where those cameras are that may give us an opportunity to find video of the actual event happening."
The surveillance video sign-up is voluntary and free and personal information will be protected, police say.
“This is not a big brother initiative on the part of the police department,” Steffen said, “but it is a chance to create a partnership between police and community to help make solving crimes that much easier."
Police say this community surveillance video could work best in cases of random street crime - when the victim and the suspect don't know each other, but the video could provide a possible lead.
"At least we have something to go off of,” Steffen said. “We have clothing or a general description of who the person is that were dealing with and we have solved cases just like that.”
Police say the more people who register, the more effective the community surveillance program will be.
After registering, participants would only be contacted by police if there is a criminal incident in the vicinity of their location.
Covington residents can register here.
