UPDATE April 2, 2019

Salem residents and businesses can now join the security camera registration effort after Salem Police Department launched their version of the SCRAM program Tuesday.

Owners of surveillance cameras in Salem can register online or find more information at CityofSalem.net/scram or call the Salem Police Crime Analysis Unit at 503-540-2466.

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Original article posted March 15, 2019

Salem and Keizer police departments want your security camera footage.

In a new effort launched Monday, Keizer Police are hoping to streamline crime investigations by asking city residents to register their surveillance cameras. Salem will launch its own program for residents in two weeks.

The Surveillance Camera Registration and Mapping program invites residents and local business owners to voluntarily provide video surveillance footage to police that can be used as supplementary evidence.

While police can already request videos from residents, they often have to guess which homes have security cameras and hope the resident is immediately available to offer footage — an effort which costs time.

The goal of SCRAM is to help streamline the process and ultimately solve more crimes, Keizer Police Department Crime Intelligence Analyst Cara Steele said.

The effort comes in the midst of an explosion of security cameras. Once limited to businesses, home video cameras have been selling like mad; the United States security market is expected to increase from 3 million users in 2014 to over 22 million by 2020, according to a report by research firm NextMarket Insights.

How to catch a thief

If a burglary occurs, police can use the database to quickly identify individuals with registered security cameras, and reach out via phone or email to request footage, Steele said.

"This helps us with canvassing," she said. "I could place the data onto a mapping software to figure out how far out we want to go and who we would need to reach out to."

SCRAM is a voluntary program that allows residents to join or withdraw at any time, Steele said.

Investigators are also still required to ask for permission before accessing video.

"I don't have the ability to tap into someone's video camera and extract footage, she said. "The resident has to go in and provide that."

Salem Police Department is launching its own SCRAM program in just over two weeks, according to Lt. Treven Upkes.

"We hope it will allow us to solve more crime, faster," Upkes said. The program allows "the public to...be participants while protecting their confidentiality."

The police departments are modeling their programs after the Medford Police Department, which started its program in October 2015.

The police department has 386 registered cameras which have aided in solving burglaries, car break-ins and murders, according to Lt. Mike Budreau with Medford Police Department.

The police department could not provide data on how many crimes the program has helped solve, but Budreau said SCRAM is a "vital" tool that has helped investigators solve crimes "countless times."

"Witnesses can help, but cameras are almost always accurate," he said. With video, "you can slow it down, and pick it apart frame by frame. You can see the make and model of cars, hubcaps and dents."

Following Medford Police Department's success, Steele said she is "hopeful" about Keizer Police Department's implementation of the program.

About 14 to 15 individuals have already registered their information, she said.

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How can I register my camera?

Those interested can visit the Keizer Police Department's website to fill out and submit a form to register their camera.

The information is confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside the police department.

Registered residents will receive a thank you note from the police department and a sticker to be placed outside of their home to warn potential criminals they are being watched.

Volunteers can withdraw their information at any time by contacting the Keizer Police Department at 503-390-3713.

Virginia Barreda is the Breaking News Reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-366-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

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