Thinking outside the box – one East Bay police force has unveiled a brand new crime-fighting tool to not only track down thieves, but in hopes it will prevent crime altogether.
The San Ramon Police Department announced “Citizen’s View,” a new program that asks both home and business owners to voluntarily register their private security cameras so that anytime a crime happens, officers know if there may be some extra footage or evidence to help find suspects.
It’s a welcome idea for San Ramon moms like Kristin Swiers and Cindy Friederichs, who are also neighbors.
“We recently installed security cameras around the house for that reason because we’ve heard a lot of break-ins happening,” explained Swiers. Friederichs added,
“The cameras aren’t so out of the scheme of things anymore. It’s not just for big businesses. It’s for everybody, too.”
On a different street, Roger Gary voiced just a bit of concern about the plan. “Guess there’s a certain feeling of a Big Brother invasion of privacy.”
But his fears subsided after he learned police would not have access to the footage unless the owner willingly hands it over.
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The idea is to also promote the idea that there are more eyes out there for would-be thieves, specifically.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice study of the Baltimore area, when cameras were installed, theft of personal property went down 25-percent in four months.
After six months, violent crimes were cut down by 23-percent. Some San Ramon residents like Friederichs are hoping will be reflected in their nice, quiet neighborhoods, which have become targeted for break-ins far too frequently for their comfort.
“The more eyes we have, the better. It’s to keep San Ramon safe.”
