With a proliferation of home security cameras popping up on front porches everywhere, the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office is harnessing what could be a valuable crime-solving tool.
The Sheriff's Office has started a volunteer registry of those who own security cameras, making it easier for law enforcement investigating crimes to quickly contact people who might have captured video that could provide leads.
"If we know there are three or four cameras in a neighborhood, that's who we'll go to first," said Sheriff Marty Kelly. "It will save us time, save taxpayers' money and hopefully solve some cases that we might not solve."
Across the country, security cameras have caught criminals in the act — from package thefts to even a homicide in Rochester, Minn. More often, however, home and business security cameras provide bits of information such as capturing the make and model of a car that may have been used in a crime or the direction of travel of a missing vulnerable adult.
Traditionally, investigators go door-to-door to interview people about what they might have seen and determine if they have a security camera that might have captured an incident.
"It's time-consuming," said Sgt. Ted Berg with the Blaine Police Department, which started a security camera registry a couple of years ago. "You could knock on 10 doors and maybe only talk to two people."
A registry that pinpoints where security cameras are and who owns them is more efficient in reaching people. So far, Blaine has registered about 500 cameras, including multiple cameras owned by some.
Law enforcement has no direct access to the registered security cameras. The registry is voluntary, as is whether a homeowner provides information from the video or the video itself, Berg said. If people change their minds, they can remove their cameras from the registry.
