NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa Police Department is looking for help from homeowners in the fight against crime. The department is asking people with home security cameras, such as Ring doorbells, to consider registering in a new program.
Cameras on front doors and porches are seen around many neighborhoods. Some of the videos and images captured from these cameras have been invaluable to local law enforcement agencies. As a result, Nampa Police introduced the City Protect Camera Registry Program.
"It's a way that we feel we can work with the community and the citizens to better serve them and to really get better information, faster information, on crimes that are happening in their neighborhoods," Interim Nampa Police Chief Curt Shankel said.
How does this program work and how can the community lend a hand?
“The individual will go on to register as far as what their address is, an email, and a phone number,” Shankel said. “It does ask, can you give an idea of where that camera points, so you know, front of the house into the street, or it catches the part of the park across the street."
The registering process can be done on the Nampa Police Department's website. They say this will provide the department with a list of public-facing cameras that officers and detectives can use as an extra resource to help with investigations.
"So, if 123 Main Street has a crime occur, we can look and say, 'hey, 124 Main Street has a camera that catches the roadway,'" Shankel said.
Nampa Police made the announcement of the new program on Facebook on Wednesday, and noticed that some of the comments expressed concerns with the idea of registering the cameras through a government agency.
"We do not have any access to pull up someone's camera to view any of their camera feeds or anything,” Shankel said. “All it does is it lets us know who has a camera, what their address is and how to contact them."
The Nampa Police Department wanted to emphasize that privacy is of the utmost importance and it is completely voluntary to participate.
"We're always trying to find better ways to work with the community, partner with the community, because law enforcement can't do it all alone,” Shankel said. “We need the eyes, we need the help from our community and that's one thing that's great about Nampa is the support and this community really pulls together to help each other out."
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