Got A Security Camera? Newton Police Ask For Volunteers To Share

NEWTON, MA —Every so often the Newton police will release an image from a security camera someone has let them use as they investigate a crime. Those images have helped solve the crime, police say.

It's become routine for police to contact banks and gas station owners and several closed-circuit cameras at intersections around town and near schools that police have access to. But as more residents increasingly use their own security cameras, police say it could help them keep the town safe.

Enter "Look Out," a volunteer camera registration.

The Newton Police Department is joining other police departments around the country asking for residents who may have security cameras pointed outside toward the street and who would be willing to share this video footage with them when they're investigating crimes in their particular neighborhoods to come register with them.

While Newton has been resistant to investment in and use of surveillance cameras and civil liberties advocates fear city cameras could create an undue invasion of privacy, utilizing the private security cameras already installed around town is a potential workaround for police.

Rather than having officers canvass neighborhoods knocking on doors and then having to circle back if no one is home the first time just to check if someone has a camera facing the street, a list of contacts who have security cameras facing the street could speed up the time it takes to nab someone.

In a case where it's a home break-in, quicker access to someone who at least has a security camera and video footage could mean quicker identification of a potential burglar and quicker crime solved could mean the difference between a crime solved after one house was broken into versus multiple, police say.

Police describe it as a "virtual neighborhood watch," and stress they won't have access to the devices themselves.

"We are not taking control of it," Lt. Bruce Apotheker said. "They're not sending us a link that we will be able to review, we're asking them to review it."

In the event of a crime or suspected crime in your area when your camera might have captured an image that could help with an investigation, they'll use the contact info to reach you to ask you to take a look yourself and possibly send them the footage.

"This information may be useful in the event of an incident on your street. It also may help to prevent certain types of incidents if they are aware that your street participates in a Virtual Neighborhood Watch," police said in a flier announcing the program.

Surveillance cameras aren't always perfect. People have posted footage of an alleged crime to social media without verifying information, which can lead to misinformation, say experts.

And Apotheker said it often depends on the quality of the camera and time of day, whether it ends up helping with an investigation.

"But we have used these to our advantage in the past," he said. "I've said it before: The public is our eyes and ears and any tools that they may have —whether it be ring cameras or other security cameras— if anybody has any sort of tools that can assist us in apprehending someone who commit crimes we want to work with them."

The form asks for your name, street number, email address and phone. It leaves a space for you to share notes about which direction your camera is facing.

What do you think about this initiative? Tell us in the comments below.