City seeks surveillance help from its residents

For most home and business owners, personal security cameras are a tool that helps provide some peace of mind.

But anyone who watches prime-time cop dramas knows that in the event of a crime, video surveillance is also an excellent way for law enforcement to swiftly and efficiently identity and convict criminals.

The problem is, police officers don’t have access to or even knowledge of private surveillance systems.

When a crime occurs, they have to canvas an area in search of footage, and that can cost valuable time and resources.

Following the example of other municipalities, Fort Worth has initiated a program to help streamline this process by encouraging residents and businesses to register their cameras with the police department.

The program essentially creates a phone book of people who might be willing to share their footage with the city to help solve a crime.

Anyone concerned about “big brother” knowing who has cameras and where they’re located should understand the program is voluntary.

Even residents who register cameras are under no obligation to provide their footage at the department’s request.

But we’re hard-pressed to think of a good reason not to assist the city in solving crimes.

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 5:35 PM with the headline "City seeks surveillance help from its residents."