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### **Director's Corner: Enhancing Community Engagement and Investigative Capabilities with Technology**

 May 2020 | Volume 13 | Issue 5

This month the Dispatch looks at property crime and how law  enforcement agencies are integrating consumer technology systems into their crime-fighting  efforts. Technologies such as doorbell camera and Advanced License Plate Reader  networks enhance community policing by promoting collaboration with local citizens,  corporations, and area businesses to prevent and solve crimes. 

Millions of homeowners now have doorbell cameras, inspired  by their potential to deter property crimes in an era of increased online  commerce. Recognizing their value as investigative and prevention tools, a growing  number of agencies are asking local doorbell camera owners to register these cameras  with neighborhood watch networks. Some camera manufacturers even offer their  products at a significant discount if purchasers agree to link to public safety  networks. The advantage is that when crimes occur in the neighborhood,  investigators can quickly and easily request footage from every camera owner in  the area.

Privately-owned cameras equipped with license plate reading  capabilities are another valuable addition to the law enforcement toolkit. License  plate readers have long allowed officers to identify and easily track  individuals suspected of crime and disorder within communities. Having this same  capability embedded into privately-owned cameras registered with local agencies  increases law enforcement’s ability to ensure the safety of communities.  

It is important to consider privacy concerns, but there is a  lot of public support for these programs. Camera owners are increasingly sharing  their camera footage and data in an effort to support police. The virtual  neighborhood watch groups create a community between the many home and business  owners who are interested in actively contributing to local public safety  efforts. 

On behalf of the COPS Office, I applaud everyone involved in  these programs—the home and business owners, the corporations that produce the  cameras and make them affordable, and the law enforcement agencies that have  been creative in their efforts to enlist the help and support of their  communities. 

– Director Keith

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