Caldwell Police Start Voluntary Camera-Sharing Program to Help Solve Neighborhood Crimes

Police in Caldwell, Idaho, have started a digital neighborhood watch program that lets residents and businesses voluntarily share security camera video to help investigators solve crimes.

The program is built around privately owned cameras, including doorbell cameras and home security systems. Owners can register their devices so that police know where cameras are located and can reach out when a crime occurs close by.

Sgt. Andrew Heitzman of the Caldwell Police Department said the system lets officers see which residences in an area have cameras and send those owners an automatic email. He described a sample message: "We're investigating an auto burglary between 2 and 4 a.m. If you have any video evidence, please send it to us." Heitzman said this saves officers from spending hours going door to door asking for footage.

Participation is optional at every step, Heitzman said. Each camera owner decides whether to send video to police in response to a request.

Resident Kim Brocke said she backs the program as long as it stays voluntary. "If something happens and I have evidence that can help police solve a crime…. 100% I'd feel comfortable sending that info to them," she said.

The digital neighborhood watch model is not new to the region. Police said similar programs have been adopted by cities across the country, including Nampa, Meridian and Boise. Caldwell police said any footage shared with the department stays inside the department. "We don't share our access on equipment with anyone outside of our police department," Heitzman said.

Businesses have a further option: they can give officers direct access to their security camera systems. That service requires a server, and participants must cover the cost. Heitzman said each device on the integration side runs from $350 to a couple thousand dollars for a server network.

Samson Kafka, manager of Caldwell's Flying M, said shoplifting is a constant problem at the business. "People stealing like hundreds of dollars of merch affects us a lot," he said. Even so, Kafka said he does not see a need to give police direct access to the store's cameras. "If there's a crime in the area, they come to us anyway and ask for the film, so why would they need to monitor it, I guess," he said.

Residents and businesses interested in joining the program can register at ConnectCaldwell.org.