The Baltimore County Council on Tuesday approved a bill enabling residents to voluntarily share doorbell camera footage with police.

Bill 43-25, introduced by Councilman Julian Jones, aims to promote public safety, prevent crime and aid law enforcement investigations through a doorbell camera program.

Community members can voluntarily register their home surveillance cameras with the police department, which could help investigators solve crimes faster and more efficiently.

"The bill is what I call a force multiplier," Councilman Jones said. "It will enable the police to solve crimes faster, and it will give the citizens an opportunity to participate."

Baltimore County doorbell camera program

The Voluntary Security Camera Registration Program will create a registry of property owners who volunteer to share their doorbell camera video. 

The program was initially introduced in a previous bill. However, the new legislation transfers the program to the Baltimore County Police Department and simplifies the registration process. 

The idea is that, in the event of a crime, police will have a database of who has cameras that might have caught the incident in action.

"If a person goes outside and sees their child missing, that's not a time to ride up and down the street looking for cameras," Councilman Jones said. "That's a time when you can pull out your laptop, look at who has a camera, and ask them what footage they have."

To register, neighbors must share their contact information and the location of their cameras. 

The registration records will be maintained and kept confidential by the police department, according to the bill. However, officers will be able to use the provided contact information to request video and data during an investigation. 

Under the bill, the registrations expire after two years and can then be renewed. 

The legislation removed a section that encouraged participants to point their camera toward a public right-of-way. The bill also removed a requirement that asked neighbors to clarify that their camera is located wholly on their property. 

"The updated camera registry provides an opportunity for community members to collaborate with law enforcement in a more effective and efficient manner," Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said.

The bill will take effect in October. At that point, the database will be up and running for people to register.

Solving crimes with doorbell cameras 

Baltimore City launched a similar program in 2023, in which it offered to pay residents to share doorbell footage with police. 

The program created a registry of private surveillance cameras to help neighbors and businesses address crime. 

The doorbell cameras have aided in police investigations in the past. 

In 2018, Baltimore Police described the cameras as being akin to having dozens of officers responding to a crime scene. 

Officers previously told WJZ that the tool helped them make an arrest in the 2018 murder of 25-year-old Timothy Morioni, who was killed in Federal Hill during a botched robbery. 

The doorbell video allowed officers to identify a vehicle and license plate number, leading to an arrest.