security cameras

Earl Gates, owner of Kee Auto Repair, in Bridgeton, said surveillance cameras were one of the best purchases his business ever made. (Kristie Rearick | South Jersey Times)

A woman is abducted off the street in Philadelphia, forced into a car and discovered three days later in Maryland. Millions watched it unfold on the nightly news, too, because a camera was pointing in the right direction at the right time and police got the footage out to the public.

Now, legislation introduced by a New Jersey lawmaker (A-3843) would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to use outdoor video cameras to investigate crimes.

To achieve that, owners would need to register the cameras in their local municipality, providing the owner's name, contact information, camera location, number of cameras installed, areas recorded and how the footage is saved.

"This will help law enforcement officials with investigations of criminal activity and save valuable time and resources by providing them with a registry to determine whether a camera is located near where criminal activity occurred," said Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex).

Big Brother or little buddy?

Surveillance cameras offer private individuals, businesses and law enforcement with an all-seeing eye trained on sidewalks, street corners, front doors and backyards.

They can come top-of-the-line — with high-definition recording capabilities and off-site Cloud storage — but Terry Stanford, owner of South Jersey Surveillance Systems, in Glassboro, says it's never a one-size-fits-all kit.

For anywhere between $1,000 to $1,500, however, a homeowner having problems in the neighborhood or a small business dealing with shoplifting can get in on the ground floor.

Joe Haase, who owns Haase's Marina at Matts Landing in rural Maurice River Township, opened the family-run business back in 2000 and invested $1,000 in a camera system within their first year of business.

It was preemptive strike on their part, as marinas are a quick and easy target, he said.

"Most boaters choose to keep high-priced items on their boats, such as marine electronics, and rods and reels. Since most boats are only used on the weekends, weeknight break-ins are quite the norm, as it would be several days to weeks before the boat owner would even notice things are missing," Haase said.

Earl Gates, owner of Kee Auto Repair, in Bridgeton, is not only a believer, he's already done what Caputo's bill would mandate.

"We purchased the camera system several years ago in case of a break-in at night or a robbery attempt during the day. It has been one of the best investments we have made in over 35 years of operation," he said.

His cameras have caught home burglars hauling off the proceeds of their illegal activity in the nearby residential area, later providing the footage to police.

Earl Gates, owner of Kee Auto Repair, looks to his surveillance camera system in Bridgeton. (Kristie Rearick | South Jersey Times)

Haase doesn't oppose Caputo's bill, but he's got his doubts.

"Most people would gladly volunteer to provide info about our systems to aid in crime prevention, after all, that is the largest reason we have the systems to start with," he said.

However, "Plenty of people are already paranoid about the government having the ability to know details about your life," he noted.

'Film doesn't lie'

Per the bill, a municipality would establish a private outdoor video surveillance camera registry and require any owner of a camera to register it with the municipal police department.

"This will help law enforcement officials with investigations of criminal activity and save valuable time and resources by providing them with a registry to determine whether a camera is located near where criminal activity occurred," said Caputo.

Stanford said he frequently informs his customers — especially those in the market for outdoor cameras — that any recordings which may be of interest to police can be obtained by authorities. It can turn into a "time-consuming" process, he said, with recordings of the event being offloaded to USB drives or burned onto DVDs.

To that end, he even wondered if police should worry about the cost of stringing up their own expensive systems when the public can be called upon to help.

"Film doesn't lie," said Pennsville police Chief Allen Cummings. "I don't see a problem with registering them," the chief added.

Next to knocking on doors in the area of a crime, police will simply ask if they can review surveillance footage that may have caught a crime in action. Cummings said officers can review it on a spot, or residents have brought in DVDs and laptops to show what the recorded.

It's a somewhat simpler process, compared to past efforts, he said.

"A lot of times, if we had to turn film in for evidence in a trial ... for pictures of crimes scenes, we would have to turn in the originals because people have Photoshop," the chief said.

Cummings, who likening the bill's requirements to those of registering a dog, is even thinking about getting a camera of his own on top of the police station to watch over Riverview Beach Park.

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Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@southjerseymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.