Thanks to a new pilot project to register privately owned CCTV cameras in a database, the RCMP will soon have access to additional surveillance cameras in downtown Kelowna.
The City of Kelowna, the Downtown Kelowna Association (DKA), and the RCMP have teamed up to launch a program to register the location of CCTV cameras in businesses in the area to give police faster access to potential sources for Enable video evidence.
Currently, RCMP members are required to personally paint areas when a crime occurs to see if there are any CCTV cameras that may have captured footage of important evidence.
“We are very pleased to be working with the city and DKA on this pilot project,” said RCMP Superintendent Brent Mundle. “Not only does this allow us to maximize resource efficiency through an intelligence model, it also supports crime prevention and illustrates partnerships for more effective policing and community safety.”
Through the program, companies can voluntarily register cameras and contact information with the city. The database also contains information about CCTV cameras located on city-owned land.
The initiative has been reviewed and approved by the BC Privacy Commissioner Office
“If an incident occurs, the RCMP can identify registered CCTV cameras in the area and ask camera owners if the footage can be secured to provide sometimes critical evidence more quickly,” said Darren Caul, director of community security for the city.
“It is a natural partnership and another innovative tool for the RCMP to serve our community.”
DKA’s executive director, Mark Burley, encourages business members to participate in the program.
“We’ve made it easy for companies to sign up and we believe the initiative will be a win-win partnership for everyone involved as we work together to create a safer inner city for our companies and their customers,” said Burley.
The CCTV Registration Pilot Program is one of Kelowna’s smart city initiatives that is finding ways to improve residents’ lives through access to online services, technological innovation, and collaborative problem solving.
“This initiative meets all of these criteria,” said Andreas Boehm, manager for smart cities in Kelowna. “And while we initially expect this will significantly reduce the time and resources required to locate and collect potentially critical video evidence, it could lead to further positive crime reductions and a sense of security.”
To ensure the security of the database, members of the partnership visit the DKA members personally to describe the program and to sign up for registration. DKA will also contact all of its members via email to ensure they have the information required to enroll in the program.
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@ Michaelrdrguez
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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