1.13.23 – CW Atlanta – MARIETTA, Ga. (WUPA)
Police say registering home and business cameras with local law enforcement agencies will help them solve crimes and catch suspects more quickly and efficiently.
Organizers and volunteers at the Kenneth and Cassandra Marcus Mission Center say that neighborhoods and goods for needy families are worth protecting.
“We have cameras inside, and we have cameras outside, along with an alarm system,” said Debrea Mossett, the mission center coordinator.
The mission center partners with local food banks and businesses, and now, organizers say they’re ready to help law enforcement by registering their camera.
“Everyone wants to protect what they spend their hard-earned money for,” said Cobb County resident Kirkland McDaniel.
Marietta police say catching suspects is a challenge without video or a way to find someone who has it.
“Even if I find a location that does have a camera, I still have to go back at night to try to figure out who lives there,” said Chuck McPhilamy, a public information officer with the Marietta Police Department.
Marietta police are hoping more neighbors and businesses will register their cameras with the department’s S.M.I.L.E. Program. The acronym stands for “Systems in Marietta Intersecting with Law Enforcement.”
Participants sign up online with the MPD website and provide their name, contact, and optional information. Law enforcement will reach out if a crime occurs in that area and surveillance video is needed to help locate suspects.
“If a crime does occur, we’re going to rely on that video to help solve,” McPhilamy said, describing how countless crimes are caught on camera and many cases are solved by talking to potential witnesses.
McPhilamy calls it a modern-day Neighborhood Watch program, and neighbors and businesses with cameras already installed can sign up for the program with any local jurisdiction.
Many alarm systems come with cameras, or individuals can pay anywhere from about $50 to thousands of dollars to get their own. In addition, some camera systems can be linked to personal cell phones.
“It requires a partnership,” McPhilamy said. “We need the community to sign up with those local maps.”
Details on registering cameras in individual jurisdictions vary. For details, contact the law enforcement agencies directly.