New Castle Police Department program asks residents to register security cameras for police use

The New Castle Police Department has started a program asking residents and business owners to register their security cameras for police use. 

In an announcement last month, the department shared details about its Camera Registry Program, which police said is voluntary and "allows us to quickly identify nearby cameras that may have captured footage of a crime."

"We had a homicide case in 2024 where we were able to get video from residents and businesses in the area," New Castle Lt. Steven Brooks told KDKA. "We were able to establish a timeline prior to the event. And it was extremely important in the investigation."

New Castle police said the program is a faster way for officers to know where to look during an investigation. Brooks said about 12 people have signed up so far.

"It helps us a lot," Brooks said. "It makes our job a lot easier."

Police said if a resident or business registers, police request video when needed. The resident or business can then choose whether to provide the video. 

Brooks said the department cannot access cameras in real time. Police need camera owners to provide a physical copy of the video or allow police to access it after the fact. 

Police say your information will be kept confidential and only accessed by authorized personnel. 

"We will go to their residence if they are not home," Brooks said. "Hopefully, they left a phone number or email address we can contact them that way if need be."

However, a privacy expert has reservations about the program.

"My concern with camera registry programs is most of them, when police create a kind of map or a list of where all the private cameras are, it takes something you put on your house for your own individual reasons and makes it part of a larger apparatus of police surveillance," said Matthew Guariglia, who works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit digital rights group. 

"Because when you enter into this list, if police come knocking at your door and ask for footage, there is an expectation that you are going to hand it over. But really, what should be happening is if police have good reason to suspect your camera caught evidence of a crime, they should go to a judge and they should get a warrant," he added.