The St. Thomas police service is part of a growing number of Ontario police departments looking to use home and business video surveillance systems as a tool to combat crime.
Police are urging residents and business owners in St. Thomas to voluntarily share information about their video surveillance locations within the community so it can be recorded in an internal database.
“We thought it was a great way to utilize cameras and technology that is already in the community to help assist with investigations. In essence, it’s an ongoing effort to collaborate with our community with a shared approach toward crime prevention,” said Const. Dan Gillies, a spokesperson for the force.
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St. Thomas police spokesperson Constable Dan Gillies says a new program that maps the presence of private surveillance systems in the community is aimed at fighting and deterring crime. (St. Thomas Police)
Homeowners and businesses can register their information on the St. Thomas police website. And if there’s a crime nearby, police may come asking if they could check their video footage.
“They enter the types of cameras, where they’re pointed, (and) how long the video will be stored,” said Gillies.
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Former Ontario privacy commissioner, Ann Cavoukian, fears the trend toward police tracking the presence of private surveillance systems will invade personal privacy.
Cavoukian worries homeowners might share videos that could include images of neighbors or others who aren’t aware their information is being disclosed.
“I’m just saying they haven’t thought through the privacy implications of the data that is captured, not just in their home but around it… I’m sure their neighbors wouldn’t be pleased with this.”
She also expressed concern over how easily police might access this information.
“This is all routinely given over to law enforcement, whether a crime has been committed or not. So the potential for tracking one’s activities … grows exponentially.”
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Worrying Trend: Cavoukian
While police believe this could help solve and prevent crimes locally, former Ontario privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian finds this trend concerning. “I’m very concerned about it. I think it overlooks many considerations associated with the privacy of your home.”Video Ownership: Police
Gillies defended the voluntary aspect of the program. He mentioned that after registering their system details with law enforcement, owners aren’t required to provide images unless they choose to do so during an investigation. “We would hope obviously that people who are registering are doing so with the intention to assist police if they are called upon, but they absolutely control the video that they have.” Cavoukian believes those who participate in these programs might not fully understand all privacy issues involved. “I think you have to be very careful. We do not want to become a surveillance society.” The former provincial privacy commissioner stated that if police wish to access private video recordings for an investigation, they should seek a warrant from a judge first. “But absent that, absent some reason for accessing the video footage, I don’t think (police) should have access to it,” Cavoukian said. “If you enjoy living in a free and open society, then you value privacy. We need to protect it.”Source link
