PD Chief asking for community members to register security cameras

WASHINGTON - Six months after the launch of the community camera program, Washington Police Department Chief Jim Lester is continuing to ask for the community to sign up.

Launched in December, the program is designed to assist local law enforcement with solving crimes. Lester said those with security cameras are encouraged to sign up on the city's website.

If a crime is reported in an area where a home or business owner has registered their device, the department will contact the owner of the camera to request permission to view the footage. The owner is not required to hand over the footage and all information will be strictly confidential.

'It provides us an opportunity to have eyes throughout the community. Their video systems record things that happen in the street or backyard,” he said. 'If there's an incident report of a crime in the neighborhood, this is an opportunity to reach out to that person to see if their camera caught video.”

In February, seven car burglaries were reported overnight in the city. As previously reported, most vehicles were left unlocked overnight and a perpetrator ransacked, stole and damaged the vehicles. With the help of the community camera program, the suspect was caught shortly after.

The footage recorded can be sent to the police department or placed on a USB drive and sent in, Lester said. Especially with random acts of vandalism on the rise in the city, an increased response number of registered citizens could be helpful in assisting the department.

'We've kind of had our run of vandalism that involves spray painting and some times breaking out windows,” he said.

Residents and business owners can register their security cameras for the program on the city's website at: https://washingtoniowa.gov/washington-community-camera-program-registration/.