Westmoreland County DA asks residents to join doorbell camera program
By: Lauren Linder/KDKA-TV
MURRYSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) — Throughout the holiday season, porch pirates across the country have been caught with the help of doorbell cameras.
To law enforcement, those cameras are a potential "surveillance network" that can help them solve crimes. Now the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office wants people to sign their cameras up to be part of such a network.
Art Probola installed a doorbell camera at his home in Murrysville a few years ago for security.
"We don't have any kind of crime to speak of, at least not that I'm aware of. So I would like to keep it that way," Probola said.
If a crime were to happen in his neighborhood, Probola said he'd be more than willing to hand over video from it to law enforcement.
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"The resolution on these cameras isn't great, but at least it gives you something," Probola said.
That is why the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office is asking people to sign up for its registry as a part of its new Crimewatch program.
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said it will let law enforcement know what residents and businesses have these surveillance cameras.
"It's simply a tool to help law enforcement pinpoint where cameras are located, to go and ask people permission to take a look at them to solve a crime," Ziccarelli said.
Ziccarelli wants to ensure people it's all voluntary, and that officers will not have direct access to their video.
"We would never tap into anybody's camera, we don't have the capability to do that," Ziccarelli said. "We will only be honing in on exactly what we're investigating, and it won't be used for any other method or reason."
She said this isn't anything new, but it's a way to avoid the time it takes to canvass a community for video when something happens.
"It's good for neighbors," Probola said.
While Probola is all for it, another camera owner in Murrysville, Jim Woods, has mixed feelings.
"I'd consider it. I have to put a little more thought into it that's all," Woods said.
University of Pittsburgh professor Michael Madison is also skeptical. He's not so concerned about the registry, and instead, the implications for neighbors and visitors.
"They don't really have a voice or a role in deciding whether the systems get registered with the law enforcement community or not," Madison said.
Madison also notes that there is a risk that your camera will capture illegal behavior police weren't looking for and decide to move in a different direction. However, he doesn't feel it's a significant concern at this time.