Community Camera Registration Program
Do you have private video surveillance cameras at your home or business? If so, the Vancouver Police Department is asking residents and business owners throughout Vancouver to register their privately owned surveillance camera systems. As officers investigate criminal incidents, they may be able to use footage gathered from community cameras to help solve crimes.
Community Cameras Hold The Keys To Solving Many Crimes
Video surveillance cameras are a great tool for apprehending criminals and catching suspects who are caught in the act of committing a crime. The problem is, police don’t know where most of the cameras in our community are located. Going door to door during an investigation is a time consuming process,especially when time is of the essence to solve a crime. The solution is knowing where cameras are located so if a crime occurs near a registered camera, officers can easily and quickly contact the camera owners whose cameras may have captured valuable footage and work with them to view the video if needed.
How Does The Program Work?
The Community Camera Registration Program allows residents and business owners to register locations and capabilities of their security camera systems with the Vancouver Police Department. Using this information when a crime occurs, the Vancouver Police Department will know the locations of nearby cameras and we can then collect video evidence to help us follow up on leads.
What are the Benefits of Registering your Camera?
When suspects are caught in the act of committing a crime, video surveillance is one of the best methods to help catch criminals and gather vital evidence. As crimes occur nearby, many residents and business owners are unaware that their camera systems may have captured information that could help solve a crime. Likewise, police are not always aware of who may have potentially vital video evidence.
Through the Vancouver Police Department Community Camera Registration Program, officers can quickly identify cameras that may have captured criminal activity when they are investigating cases. After registering your camera, you will only be contacted by the Vancouver Police Department if there is a criminal incident in the vicinity of your security camera that police believe will assist in the investigation. The investigating officer will contact the camera owner and arrange to view the video. The Vancouver Police Department will never have direct access to any video. Viewing of any video footage will be arranged through communication with the camera owner.
How Would My Footage Be Obtained?
If a criminal incident occurs in the vicinity of your camera the Vancouver Police Department may contact you at the phone number or address you include on your registration to ask to view your camera footage.The Vancouver Police Department will not be able to access video footage directly.
Information provided to the Vancouver Police Department regarding your camera system will be for official use only.
Any and all information submitted or provided to the City, including personal information, may be subject to public disclosure in compliance with the Public Records Act RCW 42.56.
Make Our Community Safer
Our goal is to empower residents by taking a community-wide approach to policing. We hope that you will join us in this initiative and help protect the community we all care about.
Register My Security Camera
Is the camera inside the Vancouver City Limits?
Even if you have a Vancouver mailing address, your home or business may not be inside the city limits. You can only register your camera with this form if the location is within the City of Vancouver. There are two easy ways to check the location:
- Use our Do I Live in Vancouver? map. Enter the address and the location will be displayed on the map.
- Visit the Clark County Property Information Center. Search for address or owner’s name, then look for “Jurisdiction” in the Administrative Data column on the left.
The City of Vancouver is required to comply with the Public Records Act RCW 42.56. Therefore, any and all information submitted or provided to the City, including personal information, may be subject to public disclosure as a public record.