The Lubbock Police Department launched a new program that is aimed towards crime prevention and an investigation tool called SafeCam.
“It’s very simple,” Tiffany Taylor with LPD said. “Basically anyone who has a security camera whether you’re a homeowner or a business, you can register that camera with us. We only ask very basic information. We ask for your name, your business name if you are a business, the location, how many cameras you have and which direction that they’re pointing, then obviously contact information.”
This program will creates a database that maps which houses or businesses within the city limits have a surveillance system on the property. This will not give police access into your system, but give them the information that a camera exists on the property.
“We will not have access to any cameras even if you register, that’s not how this works,” Taylor said. “At no time can our officers look at any video unless it’s given to us.”
“The way this will work, if an investigator believes your security camera may have caught something, may have caught a suspect walking by for a crime that occurred in the area they will contact you. Some of the information that you provide to us is an email, a phone number, and the best time of day it’s okay to be contacted.”
She said this program was created to tackle the growing issue of property crime within city limits. This program could speed up the process during an investigation case because it could lead investigators in a specific direction to catch the suspect. It is also used as a method to deter any future crime.
“When our investigators can almost immediately get video that’s relevant to a crime, you’re getting that suspect off the streets and preventing other people from becoming victims,” Taylor said. “So it really is a crime prevention tool when it’s used properly, and when the community comes together with our officers to really tackle the issue of things like property crimes.”
Taylor said any information they receive through this program will remain confidential. They will ask for basic details, such as the name of the individual or business, location, how many security cameras are on the property, and the contact information with a phone number or email.
To register or have additional questions on the program, find more information on the LPD website here.
