Police aim to map security cameras in city

The Vermilion Police Department is working on a system to map security cameras located in the city.

During Vermilion City Council’s Health and Safety Committee meeting July 16, police Capt. Jim Graham reported the department is working on a new initiative with security cameras aiming to prevent crime and respond during incidents as they are happening.

“We are working on software that would map every camera that we have in town, whether that be in a business or in a private home,” Graham said. “That way if something happens, we can look at our map.”

Graham noted, with permission of the residents and business owners, there would be a way for police to log on and access cameras live during the course of an incident, enabling the department to switch between cameras depending on location.

“That’s something that we’re working on,” he said. “It’s still in the very early stages, but it’s something we are looking forward to.”

With the police department dealing with more than 60 vehicle thefts in spring 2018, which included some firearms being stolen out of cars, it is an issue law enforcement is taking very seriously, Graham said.

Police expect to put out a survey in the near future to identify the location of cameras in the area and determine if citizens would be interested in working with the Vermilion police in allowing remote access during incidents, he said.