- Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced the creation of a security camera registry
- Police hope they can save time on investigations if they know which properties near a crime scene are equipped with cameras that may have captured useful footage
- An advanced version of the program can feed camera footage directly to law enforcement but at the expense of program participants
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh County law enforcement officials are rolling out a security camera registry, saying the information can help police quickly gather important evidence as they investigate crimes.
For years, local police have turned to municipal and private security cameras to help them piece together how crimes have unfolded. But getting ahold of potentially critical evidence is often easier said than done, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said in a news release.
"Sending officers out to canvass for video evidence after a crime is often time-consuming and inefficient. Creating a real partnership between our residents, businesses and our officers will change that."Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin
“Sending officers out to canvass for video evidence after a crime is often time-consuming and inefficient,” Martin said. “Creating a real partnership between our residents, businesses and our officers will change that."
Under the new Connect Lehigh County program, security camera owners can register their system with the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center, a county-owned database that pools information for police in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Should a crime occur in the area, police can kick off their investigation with a better sense of footage of a crime that may exist, Martin said. The program is available to Lehigh County residences and businesses; Lehigh County officials have extended an invite to the Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association as well, according to Pamela Lehman, a spokesperson for Martin's office.
Program participants also have the option of providing the RIIC with real-time access to their cameras' feed, though this comes at a cost to the owner. Under this portion of the program, the camera owner is asked to install a device sold by the security technology firm Fusus into their system. The devices range from $350 to $7,300 with more expensive models supporting larger, more complex security systems.
Under the live-feed program, the owner of the security system can choose when the feed is fed to law enforcement, according to the Fusus website.
The Connect Lehigh County website indicated that 196 cameras are already registered with the county. It was not immediately clear how many of these were privately owned or how many allowed real-time feed access. The site also inaccurately describes the program as the Lehigh County Sheriff Registry. Lehman's office said that while the Lehigh County Sheriff's Department is participating in Connect Lehigh County, the program is run by the Lehigh County Chiefs of Police Association, the district attorney's office, and the RIIC.
