SURV EI L L A N CE TE C H N O LO G Y
BY GE OFF R EY CRAI GH EA D, CPP
Sharing video
with police
Law enforcement across the country is devising formal programs to ask businesses,
public entities and residents to share surveillance footage
T
he swift and successful investigation
of the terrorist attack during the
Boston Marathon shined a bright light
on the value of both public and privatesector video when shared with police.
It is common knowledge that police
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Law Enforcement Technology
regularly ask public organizations,
businesses and individuals to share video
that might help in the investigation of a
crime; however, in recent years, police
requests for video have grown into
formal programs.
September 2013
www.officer.com
Police departments in Philadelphia,
Elgin, Ill., San Ramon, Calif., and
Ventura, Calif., for example, all have
programs that ask organizations and
individuals to register their surveillance
cameras. The involved department