St. Pete Launches Security Camera Registry

When it comes to crime-fighting tools, surveillance video can be hard to top. Providing police a view of exactly what happened and when, cameras record what witnesses often don’t recall.

That’s why the St. Petersburg Police Department is launching a new initiative called “Eagle Eye.” Through the program, the agency hopes to get residents and business owners to register their cameras with the department. That way, when a crime does occur, police will have a handy registry of all cameras in the area that may have recorded the incident in action.

“Security cameras can provide crucial clues to solving crimes,” the department explained in an email to media. “But often investigators waste valuable time trying to locate nearby surveillance cameras that may have captured video.”

A similar program that operates in Philadelphia is credited with helping police in a kidnapping case, the email stated.

Joining the registry is free. All surveillance camera owners need to do is fill out an online form via the police department’s website.

To find out more about the program, visit the St. Pete police department online.

What are your thoughts on this? Should this program be replicated by other law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay area? Share your thoughts by commenting below!