During the few moments when the police are on their way and the thief is fleeing the scene, a single image caught on camera can make the difference between an arrest and one more unsolved crime.
That’s the impetus behind Project Vigil, a database of resident surveillance cameras, and the newest endeavour of the West Vancouver Police Department.
The department is asking residents to register their security systems with the police department. That way, when a crime is committed, officers can get in touch with neighbouring homeowners immediately to see if their cameras picked up a clue.
“Any image is potentially a helpful image,” said Const. Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department. “We absolutely expect people are going to position cameras to benefit their own properties, but if they have a view of their property and it happens to include a view of a public area, absolutely you might capture an unexpected image of a suspect vehicle.”
A confidential registry of cameras can be a useful tool for detectives, who would otherwise be left tromping from door to door in the hope of finding a witness, Palmer pointed out.
In the instance a homeowner has footage that might be useful in court, for instance video of a criminal clambering over a backyard fence, police will ask the homeowner to relinquish ownership of the video.
However, Palmer wants it made clear that while police may take ownership of certain footage, the cameras will remain the property of the residents.
“Someone signing up for this program is not giving us access to their camera system,” he explained. “We’re not seeking any access to or control of their cameras.”
Residents can opt out of the program at any time.
Property crime is up across the North Shore, with 1,415 property crimes in West Vancouver and 4,608 in North Vancouver in 2015.
The WVPD has a stated goal of reducing property crime by four per cent in 2016. Project Vigil is part of that push.
The notion of assembling a network of cameras to aid police in investigations came about from the department’s Business Watch program, which asks business owners to share security footage with police.
“We basically use the same mechanism that we gather Business Watch Information through . . . and apply that to residents,” Palmer said. “Our hope with this is that we can be more efficient.”
Project Vigil got a pass from Micheal Vonn, policy director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.
“How you choose to survey your own property is absolutely your own business,” she said.
However, Vonn advised residents to be mindful of where they point the cameras, especially if property lines are being crossed.
While it wouldn’t necessarily be a criminal offence, allowing security cameras to take a lingering view of someone else’s home or yard could result in a civil lawsuit.
“If you have surveillance cameras, for your own protection, civilly, you would want to make sure the capture of the camera was within the purview of your property,” she said.
Any West Vancouver resident hoping to help out the long eye of the law can participate in the program by visiting the WVPD and registering for Project Vigil.
