Police launching voluntary camera program, ‘Connect Roswell’

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police are launching what they call a voluntary community camera registry, aimed at enhancing public safety responses and making it more efficient through “collaborative use of technology.”

According to the department, “Connect Roswell” will allow residents and business owners with cameras to register the locations of their cameras or integrate their feeds into a city system, allowing quick access to Roswell police officers.

Channel 2′s Michael Doudna got an inside look at the new system which involves hundreds of cameras.

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The system currently includes traffic and body cameras even some from a high school.

Blessed Trinity High School principal Cathy Lancaster says they are piloting the program this year— giving police partial access.

“Now, normally police can not look inside a high school unless a school administrator notifies them through an app, putting out an SOS giving them real-time access to what going on through the cameras inside the school,” said Lancaster.

Roswell wants the program to expand and is asking the community to buy in—calling for businesses and residents to register where cameras are so police can reach out—or pay a fee to integrate into a system.

“It helps us identify locations where those camera resources are available,” said Maj. Noah Caplan with Roswell Police Department.

Those who want to add their cameras to the network can register the device or devices free of charge by providing RPD with their contact information and camera locations.

“In the event of a public safety incident near a registered location, officers can quickly collaborate with the camera owner to help resolve the incident. RPD will not have direct access to the live video feeds from registered locations,” officials said.

Police say it would give them faster access to potential evidence, allowing them to possibly solve crimes faster.

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While it can be as simple as registration to let police know where a camera with footage might be, there are additional steps for residents who want to hook their camera directly in with RPD.

To hook directly into the Connect Roswell network, police said technology upgrades would be required by potential participants, and the choice is left to them.

“This integrated feature requires the purchase of specific equipment and an associated subscription that allows a business owner or resident to share their live video feeds directly with RPD. Connect Roswell integrates these private video feeds, together with the City’s network of cameras, into one unified system at the Roswell Crime Center that can be accessed live by officers on their mobile devices and laptops in the field,” RPD said in the program announcement.

Signing up as a resident will give police information that a camera is on your property but it does not permit them to look at your camera without your consent.

As for the cameras integrated into the system—the Roswell police say every use is tracked and audited to see how it is used.

Registration for the Connect Roswell network and more information about integration options can be found online.

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