Florida law enforcement partnering with tech companies to solve crimes

CLEARWATER, Fla. - We’re seeing more and more crimes captured on camera around the nation.

Video is being used to help solve crimes and identify suspects.

Many law enforcement agencies are partnering with tech companies to create programs where residents and businesses can register their own security cameras, in the event of a crime or major emergency in their area.

The company, Fusus, says it’s partnered with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office since 2021 to create a surveillance camera registration program.

More crimes are being solved with the help of video footage.

The Clearwater Police Department says it’s also had a program since 2021.

"So it really saves a lot of time if a crime occurs at a home," Rich Kolko, a retired FBI agent said. "Now, they've got to go up and down the street and figure out who may have that camera on their doorbell or any other security cameras. But if they already have the register, it can save some time."

The program doesn’t give law enforcement 24/7 access to security cameras that are registered through the program though. Law enforcement agencies are not able to pull up the camera footage whenever they want.

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If there is a crime or major emergency in a certain area, police say they can look to see if any residents or businesses have security cameras, doorbell cameras or surveillance cameras in that area that are registered.

"While people might think that the police can just find it 24/7, they can't," Kolko said. "You're really just listing where that camera is saying you're willing to help the police."

Clearwater police say they have to reach out to that homeowner and ask if they have footage from a specific day or time, how it relates to the crime or incident they’re investigating.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Clearwater Police Department use security cameras to solve crimes.

Police say businesses can also choose to share their security footage feed, so if there’s a major emergency like an active shooter, police can have more details about the situation and respond quicker.

"People have a valid concern to make sure that they're not being watched by law enforcement or anybody else hacking into their camera system," Kolko said. "That's an important thing. But in this situation, the police are not asking for the capability to log into your system without you knowing about it."

Clearwater police say 283 cameras have been registered with its program. Police say the partnership costs $95,000 annually.

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"I mean the use of your private data by commercial entities is far more common than the use of that data by government or law enforcement agencies, which is why it's so important to have a deep understanding of what exactly you're signing away," Chris Jenkins, Druid Ventures said.

Jenkins says something a lot of people often overlook is the terms of agreement for the company they actually buy the security cameras or technology from.

As technology continues to advance, Jenkins says it’s important people know what they’re agreeing to on all levels.

"We really just don't understand well enough how much data is being captured and the ways in which it's being used," Jenkins said. "And that's a big education gap that consumers really need to catch up on."