Pleasant Prairie police ask that residents register their home security cameras

PLEASANT PRAIRIE -- The Pleasant Prairie Police Department has launched a new "Community Camera Partnership" -- enabling residents to let police know whether they'd be willing to share video footage from home security cameras should crime or suspicious activity happen in their neighborhood.

“This is today’s version of being a good neighbor. Neighbors can take this proactive step to help keep their neighborhoods safe and free of crime. The department hopes to achieve a two-fold benefit for the community through the partnership. We hope to solve more crime in our community more efficiently, and we hope to deter future crime from occurring. Once word of the partnership gets out, we hope people planning a crime in Pleasant Prairie think twice about being caught on camera," Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana said in a statement.

During 2016, police sought community input related to the voluntary partnership, and the response received was positive Since that time, the department has been working through the technical steps in order to get the initiative up and running.

Here's how it works:

Through a short questionnaire on the Village of Pleasant Prairie's website, residents can log their home as a location where a camera may be able to provide assistance should a crime or suspicious activity occur. The locations will be marked on a map. If a crime is reported near one of the locations, officers would know that they could contact a resident in the area to ask them to look at their camera footage.

“It’s important to note that all aspects of this program are completely voluntary, and that at no time would the police have any remote access to the security system. The home owner remains in complete control of their personal camera system," Smetana said.

CLICK HERE to register your camera(s).