Kelowna wants business to register CCTV cameras for crime fight

Photo: Contributed

The time it takes for the RCMP to find video footage of illegal acts can be quite lengthy.

Officers need to check the area to see if there are any cameras and then track down their owners, while at the same time hoping the footage of what could end up being evidence is still available.

Those behind the City of Kelowna’s 'Intelligent City' initiative would love it if everyone with a camera registered it to make the process quick and efficient. It was announced on Tuesday that businesses will go first.

The city is launching a CCTV registry with Kelowna RCMP and the Downtown Kelowna Association. It’s a voluntary pilot program that has been reviewed and cleared by the Privacy Commissioner Office of BC.

Businesses can register their cameras on a secure database, which will also include information about Kelowna’s closed-circuit TV cameras that are located on city property.

“If an incident occurs, the RCMP can identify registered CCTV cameras in the area and ask camera owners if the footage can be secured to provide sometimes pivotal evidence faster,” Kelowna’s community safety director Darren Caul said in a press release. “It’s a natural partnership and yet another innovative tool for the RCMP in their service to our community.”