Elizabethtown Police Department creates surveillance camera database to fight crime

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) – The Elizabethtown Police Department is creating a database of local surveillance cameras, which will be called Virtual Eyes on Crime.

John Thomas, the department's public information officer, said police departments benefit from access to more surveillance cameras to help solve crimes, especially when there might not be any witnesses to a crime.

“The police department can’t have eyes and ears everywhere,” said Thomas. “That’s why we’re calling it Virtual Eyes. It puts virtual eyes in your neighborhood 24/7.”

To make the database a reality, officers are asking homeowners and business owners to voluntarily sign up online. The database asks for the camera's address and the owner's contact information.

“It takes time and resources for officers to go door to door, asking if anyone has surveillance,” said Thomas. “And if we already have this database established, we’ll be able to very quickly contact who has surveillance.”

The program is voluntary, and any information will remain on an internal, secure database for access by officers only.

“This will not give us access to your cameras. Big Brother will not be watching. And if you sign up with us, you are still in no way obligated to share that surveillance with us,” Thomas said.

If you would like to sign up, you can click here. Or you can email john.thomas@elizabethtownky.gov for more information.