WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Law enforcement agencies are leaning on new technology. The Warner Robins Police Department is hoping home and business security cameras can help them solve crimes.
Soon, you could receive a request for the Warner Robins Police Department to access your security camera. It comes from a partnership with a company called Fusus.
"It's cutting edge and it gives us a toll we've never had before," Interim Chief Roy Whitehead said.
He says through Fusus, folks can register their personal security cameras with the police.
"If we have an incident that occurs in a neighborhood, we can send out an email to all the camera holders in the area, send them a link and immediately upload that camera footage," Whitehead said.
He says this footage could be accessed by folks in the field and help with crime in real-time.
"As an example, depending on what access the school system wanted to give us with their camera, if we were to have an active shooter at the school we could immediately have video throughout the school, and all the officers on the scene would have that video, and would know what was happening in real time," Whitehead said.
He says the goal is prevention, especially in commercial spaces. The chief hopes this system will help keep crime down, but when crime does happen, he says it could make the investigation easier.
"It helps us on the other end to solve and clear cases because we're going to have more evidence and more video to readily identify people who are involved," Whitehead said.
Whitehead says that when it comes to accessing your cameras, you set the limits.
"You set the perimeters for what you want us to have. There is the ability for us to watch it real time, so that we can watch it all. You can set it to time periods, also it's recorded, so you can decide whether you want to send it or not," he said.
Mayor LaRhonda Patrick says the department needs this tool, considering their staffing shortages.
"We need to expand our footprint, so what better way to expand our footprint than through technology, so we have dedicated a lot of time and resources into that very thing," she said.
She expects the whole community to benefit from this system
"This is great for everybody, you'll see," Patrick said.
This program is voluntary. Police can not access cameras that are not registered with Fusus.
Whitehead says it would take about 6 months to get the program running. He says they are also looking for partnerships that would help provide cameras for people.
This program costs the police department $100,000 for a year of service.
The first $50,000 installment is being paid for with the departments confiscated assets funds.
The second will be budgeted within the department.