Register your CCTV or doorbell camera to help solve crime in your area

We are urging residents across Staffordshire to register their CCTV and doorbell cameras as part of a county-wide campaign to help solve crimes that matter to your community.

The Staffordshire Police CCTV Registry campaign starts today, (Monday 10 August) and is aimed at getting as many people as possible to register their devices so that you can receive alerts when a crime happens in an location near you. 

Registering your camera means that local policing teams will know there is a camera at the location if a crime happens in your area. Detectives will be able to send you an email or text message asking you to check your camera to see if it has picked something up that may be of use to us. 

The scheme does not give police officers access to the cameras or footage. It simply allows you to decide what to share to help us solve crime in your neighbourhood. 

If a crime has happened in your area, and your camera is registered, in the alert you receive there will be a link for you to upload footage from the relevant date and time.  

Your personal information will not be publicly visible, and investigating officers will only be able to see cameras plotted on a digital map, along with the footage you choose to provide. 

Registering your camera takes less than a minute and could help us tackle issues including: anti-social behaviour, nuisance bikes, drug-related activity, burglary and theft. 

Being part of the scheme does not mean you will be required to attend court or be involved in the criminal justice process, it just enables officers to pursue identified lines of inquiry. 

Local policing Chief Superintendent, Victoria Lee, said: “We rely on the community to inform us of issues that are affecting them, and this latest campaign is a further mechanism through which people can support their local policing team in tackling community concerns. 

“We know that many people and businesses now have their own CCTV and camera doorbell systems, which can prove to be vital in establishing circumstances around criminality and in some cases, even result in positive prosecutions."

Recent examples where CCTV footage has been used to make positive progress in cases include:

In another instance, a man recognised himself on a CCTV appeal following a purse theft in Cannock in April, and handed himself in, before being issued with a community resolution.

Ch Supt Lee added: “This is why we are urging everyone who has a camera outside of their property, both at the front and back, to sign up to the scheme and receive alerts. 

“You may not think your footage could make a difference, but anything that helps us piece together what has happened when a crime is reported to us can be pivotal in achieving justice for victims and their families as well as protecting communities from harm.” 

To find out more about the scheme and to register, visit: Home - Staffordshire Police CCTV Registry 

To sign up to receive Smart Alerts from Staffordshire Police relating to policing activity in your area, see: Home Page - Staffordshire Smart Alert.