RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – From outside businesses to people’s front doors, cameras are all around us. Raleigh police say by knowing where the cameras are, and being able to access the live feed in come cases, it will enhance public safety.
The department is launching a camera sharing program called CONNECTRALEIGH.
It held a meeting Monday night to explain the program to the community and answer questions.
One option is for someone to voluntarily register their camera with the department. Police will add it to a private map so they know where cameras are and how to contact the person who owns them.
Registering the camera does not give police access to the camera feed. They must request video from the owner.
“It just enables us to work a little bit smarter without having to send a whole bunch of officers out there to knock on doors,” Raleigh Police Lieutenant Charles Penny said. “We can at least get something, hopefully, by seeing who’s registered on the registry.”
Lt. Penny said people can choose to do an additional step and voluntarily integrate their camera into the network by purchasing a fususCORE device. It allows police to access the camera’s live feed back at the department’s Real Time Crime Center.
A woman at Monday’s meeting finds that aspect more concerning.
“Do I have access to information of which of my neighbors are actively recording me and giving you information when I’m going for a jog in the morning,” the woman said.
Addressing privacy concerns, Lt. Penny said officers are not monitoring feeds all the time and will be looking at specific incidents, including to try and find suspects.
“A lot of times someone will call 911, they’ll give you that information over radio or over the phone, it comes to us over the radio, this enables us to actually put eyes on the area and take a look and see what’s going on even before the officer gets there,” Lt. Penny said.
Robert Courts works with small businesses and views this an opportunity to help make Raleigh safer.
“I think for this program to really work, if there’s a real safety issue, being able to look in real time is a little bit more effective. So, it’ll be everyone’s choice, but that would be my choice, yes.”
A Fusus representative at the meeting said doorbell camera companies like Ring, Nest, and Arlo do not allow people to integrate their camera with the Fusus network.
Lt. Penny expects businesses, not home doorbell cameras, to be the main ones voluntarily sharing live feeds. He said for doorbell cameras police would just like to know where they are.
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The starting price for a fususCORE device through the CONNECTRALEIGH website is $350.
Click here for the dates of future listening sessions.
Click here to learn how to register your camera.