The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is launching a program intended to create a partnership between private citizens with security cameras and deputies investigating crimes.
“The TCSO Community Awareness Program seeks to increase our partnership with the citizens of Thurston County by utilizing the images and video that may have been captured on home security systems when a crime has occurred within the community,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The program is voluntary and citizens can opt out at any time. Citizens would register with the sheriff’s office so deputies can quickly identify cameras that might have recorded criminal activity.
“When a crime occurs in a neighborhood, TCSO will contact program participants and ask the participant to examine their recorded surveillance video for a specific time frame in order to locate potential leads in the investigation,” according to the sheriff’s office.
If the surveillance system catches evidence, deputies will meet with the citizen to view it. The Sheriff’s Office will not tap into surveillance systems remotely.
“For years we have asked citizens to support law enforcement to report suspicious people or activities in their neighborhoods,” the press release states. “The Community Awareness Program builds on this idea by utilizing the unblinking eyes of our citizen’s surveillance cameras to help solve crimes and hold criminals accountable.”
To sign up, go to www.co.thurston.wa.us/sheriff.
