Saint John police are asking residents and businesses to help solve crimes faster by signing up for a new security camera registry.
The Safe Neighbourhood Camera Registry(SNCR) is a voluntary program where people can let police know if they have an exterior camera facing the street.
Staff Sgt. Shawna Fowler said the registry allows officers to quickly see where cameras are located and how long footage is stored, which helps them act before video is erased.
“Being able to take a quick look and seeing how long the camera or the video footage is retained is much faster than going door‑to‑door and asking and bringing the information back to look into it further,” Fowler said.
She emphasized that police will not have live access to private camera feeds.
Instead, officers will contact registered owners directly to request footage if an incident occurs nearby. Fowler said all information is stored securely in Canada through the vendor PoliceSolutions.ca.
Fowler also called the program a first for New Brunswick and said she hopes it will inspire other communities.
“I think it’s fantastic for us to be the leaders on this, and I believe that now that it’s out, there will probably be more people who want to have this in their community,” she said.
The registry is free to join and available through the Saint John police’s community resources section.
