Lakewood's 'Register Every Camera' Aims To Aid Crime-Fighting

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The video was unnerving: a man creeping up to a home, with what appeared to be plans to attack and rob a woman who'd just returned from the grocery store, before the family's dog scared him off.

Video of the frightening incident, from a home surveillance system in nearby Howell, led to the arrest of a suspect who police said had followed the woman home from the store, and allegedly had followed other women, too.

It's incidents such as that and many others where home surveillance systems in particular are leading to arrests that have prompted Lakewood police to launch what they hope will be an effective new community partnership.

Register Every Camera [REC] aims to log every address with security cameras in the township, Lakewood Police Chief Gregory H. Meyer said in announcing the program.

"Video surveillance has become extremely helpful in solving crimes, identifying potential suspects, and serves as valuable evidence in court," Meyer said. And because those systems have become more affordable, he said, more and more people are installing them.

"Many times the best available video evidence isn’t of the crime itself, but of pathways and streets leading into and out of the scene," he said. "Knowing ahead of time where cameras are located greatly speeds investigations by allowing our officers and/or detectives to prioritize where to begin looking for evidence."

Meyer emphasized that participation in the program is completely voluntary and said all registered information will be kept confidential and will only be viewed by authorized Lakewood Police Department personnel.

"We are not asking to and will not monitor your camera system. This is strictly to be used as an investigative tool to aide officers and detectives," he said.

Residents or business owners who have cameras on their property can register them with the police department, either on the department's website at www.lakewoodpolicenj.com or in person at the police station, at 231 Third Street.

The information will be entered into a secured database and addresses with cameras noted in the police department's in-house system, Meyer said. Registrants will receive a window decal that police hope will serve "as a visible deterrent for anyone who may be considering committing a crime," Meyer said, as well as a helpful tool for responding or investigating law enforcement officers.

Image by Don Pablo/Shutterstock