Security Camera Registration
Welcome to the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office registration page for the Security Camera Registration Program. This program is designed to continue and enhance our partnership with the community. Through excellent service and communication with our community members; citizens in our community will be helping the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office deter crime, help identify suspects, and increase the proactive approach to crime fighting. This voluntary program is designed to take advantage of the abundance of video surveillance systems at homes and businesses across Phillips County to help reduce crime. There is no fee for this program, your information is confidential, and you can un-register at any time.
Similar programs have already taken root with other agencies across the nation. We as an agency have reached out to several different Sheriff’s Offices and Police Departments and received countless success stories of how this program has helped their communities. The registration process is simple, completely voluntary, and now available to current Phillips County residents.
Here’s how it works: A home owner or business owner installs a surveillance system on their property. Until something happens, the surveillance system is a deterrent but it does not stop all crime from occurring. Often times the surveillance system might catch something useful for law enforcement; however, it goes unnoticed because the owner is unaware of them capturing anything. What our program will change is the broadening of possible leads to crimes in your area. The Security Camera Registration program will give you and the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office a chance to capture the perpetrator coming, leaving, or actually committing a crime in progress.
For example: You are a home owner who has recently moved into a new home. You’ve purchased a home surveillance system and have registered your system with us. Several weeks later, a Deputy comes to your door and informs you of a recent burglary in your neighborhood. The Deputy has used the database for this program, and has gone to your residence for follow-up. The Deputy asks you if it would be possible for you to review your video for a suspicious person or vehicle between the listed times of the event. Upon reviewing the video, you have captured a possible vehicle in connection of the crime. This information would be passed on to Deputies working your area. During the days ahead, a Deputy stops a vehicle matching the description in the area and they find evidence related to the crime that was committed in your neighborhood. Without the video from your surveillance system, the suspect would not have been caught quickly and may have gone on committing several more crimes in the area.
This is only one example of how this program would work. There are endless opportunities for this program to make a difference in our community.
During the registration process, we would not be asking you any of your vital information, we would not be “tapping” into your surveillance system, and your information would only be accessible to Deputies for official investigations. We would require that you provide your name, address, telephone number, and the location / directions of your cameras. Once the information is gathered, two things would happen. If there was a crime in your neighborhood or business, a Deputy would contact you to look for possible leads. Or if you have discovered something yourself, you could contact the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office to have a Deputy come out to your property. Together, you and the Deputy would work hand in hand in preventing, and sometimes solving crime in your area.
The goal of the Security Camera Registration program is to deter crime and promote public safety through collaboration between the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office and the communities we serve. Accordingly, all Security Camera Registration program registrants agree to the following terms and conditions:
Any footage containing or related to criminal activity may be collected by the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office for use as evidence during any stage of a criminal proceeding.
All information provided to the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office pursuant to the Security Camera Registration program is reserved for official law enforcement use by the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office and will not be released to any member of the general public or press except (a) as required by law or Court Order or (B) to the minimal extent necessary, if at all, to further the investigation which may include sharing portions thereof with (i) other law enforcement agencies or (ii) solely for the purpose of assisting with the identification and/or apprehension of a criminal suspect, to the media and/or the community, through the use of still photographs for the purpose of creating community advisory flyers.
When necessary for a criminal investigation the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office will contact you directly, using the information provided on this site, to request the appropriate video surveillance footage.
Under no circumstances shall registrants construe that they are acting as an agent and/or employee of the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office through the Security Camera Registration program.
Under no circumstances shall the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office utilize any information obtained to view footage/feeds directly from cameras owned by registrants.
Registration in the Security Camera Registration program does not confer any greater rights than any other member of the public concerning any response to a criminal complaint or criminal activity by the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office and the registrant should in no way regard this Security Camera Registration program as a monitoring or security device. Checking the designated box at the bottom of the form indicates acceptance of the above terms and conditions.