When the community can quickly share a video or picture with the police, responding officers know what the criminal looks like before they get to the scene and they can keep an eye out for the individual as they drive into the neighborhood.
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Officials say if a crime occurs in your neighborhood, police may contact you to see if anything may have been recorded around the time of the crime. If something suspicious was captured on your camera, you may choose to notify the police department and share the video.
By registering with this program, residents are not obligated to provide the video and they are not giving direct video access to the police. By registering, residents are simply providing police with another potential tool for keeping West Chester neighborhoods safe.
The Neighborhood Watch program started in the 1950s, and neighbors today still report suspicious or unusual activity in their neighborhood. Today, technology can enhance Neighborhood Watch by offering the ability to share information, images and video in real time through social media apps such as Nextdoor.com, Neighbors App by Ring, Facebook, etc. This technology takes Neighborhood Watch programs to a new level.
Police say the West Chester community has always worked hand-in-hand with police officers to fight crime. With easily available and accessible home security cameras, the community has the ability to share even more information and faster in order to make our communities safer.
Registration for the program can be found here.
With questions or concerns about utilizing cameras with the Neighborhood Watch program, please contact Officer Daniel Dean, public affairs officer, at 513-759-3985 or ddean@WestChesterOH.org.
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