“Virtual Neighborhood Watch” is intended to help solve crimes and keep our community safe. Due to advances in technology, security cameras are less expensive, easy to install, and more prevalent than before. Many businesses and homeowners have security cameras, which means those cameras could inadvertently be a witness to a crime nearby. Virtual Neighborhood Watch (VNW) allows residents and business owners who have surveillance cameras to register their addresses or businesses with the Dover Police Department.
The Dover Police Department is not asking for live access to camera systems. The Dover Police Department will not monitor the security cameras. We will only contact registered participants if a crime occurs in or around their neighborhood to see if the cameras captured what took place. By getting this information to the police as soon as possible, it will help the investigating officers solve crimes faster and more efficiently. Once participants register their camera with the Dover Police Department, they will only be notified if a crime or incident occurs in or around their neighborhood. The participants will be asked to check their footage for any activity. A camera mounted on a garage or home could make a critical difference in an officers’ ability to identify a suspect or solve a case.