DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A new program called 'Connect Tallahassee' is designed to keep the community safe by tapping into the system of at-home and business cameras.
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Neighbors can sign up with their name and contact information to help law enforcement know where cameras are located in the event of a crime.
"Through this program, residents can register their security cameras, and in the event of an incident, officers can send a secure request for video footage. Community members can then review their recorded video and share anything they may wish to share to assist our investigators," Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department.
The video will go to investigators at the Capital Region Real Time Crime Center. The center includes the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida State University Police Department, and the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
"So, say we have criminal activity on your street, then we can draw kind of a geofence around. We'll send out a message, saying, hey, if you can review your cameras and see if you see anything on there, here's a link. Attach that video, and it comes back. So it'll cut down on our investigative time that we have to go out and explore and maybe miss one of the cameras that we didn't see that was there," Jason Lowe, Co-Director of the Real Time Crime Center.
Lowe added that the program costs about $150,000.
"So we leverage what the community has. So we believe we'll get a very good return on our investment as we go through that," Lowe said.
Law enforcement leaders stressed this program is completely voluntary and is not about surveillance, but strengthening collaboration with law enforcement.
"This isn't about Big Brother or us looking in, this is a completely voluntary program that community members and businesses can join in, strengthening coordination and collaboration with our Capital Real-Time Crime Center," LCSO Undersheriff Ron Cave said.
"Let me be clear, this is not about surveillance. It's about collaboration. This program is built on transparency, privacy, and trust," Revell said.
There are two sign-up options. For private homes, it's free to register your cameras and takes less than a minute. Businesses can purchase various units starting at $350, depending on how many cameras they have. A link to sign up can be found here.
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