NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – The New Braunfels Police Department is seeking residents and businesses to participate in a new, voluntary program that registers their exterior surveillance systems with the police department.
The department said one of the most effective ways to solve crimes is through the use of evidence captured on video and camera surveillance, and NBPD has found that more residents and business owners are using surveillance systems on the exterior of their homes or businesses.
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NBPD has also had a lot of recent success in solving crimes by placing photos and videos captured by surveillance systems on the NBPD Facebook page, local newspapers, Crime Stoppers bulletins and local television news broadcasts, the release said.
According to the release, in an effort to further that success, New Braunfels police are initiating a program in which citizens can voluntarily register their exterior-facing surveillance cameras with the police department in an effort to help solve crimes.
The release said that when a crime occurs in the vicinity of a residence or business that has a registered camera, an investigator will contact the owner and ask permission to view the video in an attempt to identify a suspect or any suspicious activity. Knowing where surveillance cameras are located around the city will save investigators time and could help in apprehending criminals and solving cases, as well as being used to find lost children or older and disabled people, police said.
The program is voluntary. The release explained once a surveillance system is registered, NBPD will always have to get an owner's permission to view the images or footage. To voluntarily register your surveillance system with NBPD, log on to its website and look for the link on the front page.