Hanover tops in new surveillance camera program

Like many retail outlets in Hanover, Jenn Heerema has had trouble with shoplifting. Which is why, her ceiling is literally covered in surveillance cameras.

“I used to run pictures around to other stores just to say, watch out for these people. So if people are looking for somebody in particular, it helps the community find them faster, maybe,” sids Heerema, who runs The Giddy Goblin in Hanover.

Heerema is one of the many Hanover businesses and homes with surveillance cameras that have recently signed up for the CAMSAFE program, allowing the local police service to know where there are surveillance cameras in town.

“It gives us an idea of, when we have an area of interest, who in that area has a camera, so we can make quick contact with them and access that information as quickly as possible,” said Hanover Police Chief, Chris Knoll.

The CAMSAFE program which started in Belleville two years ago, is spreading across the province, as a new time-saving tool for the OPP and municipal police forces. But, it’s really taken off in Hanover, with the most surveillance camera registrations of any region in southwestern Ontario, thanks in part, to incentives from the town, businesses and billboard advertising around town.

“If you’re going to come into our community and do something untoward, our citizens and business owners are here to help us figure out who’s responsible for these actions,” said Knoll.

Concerns over privacy, have kept some people from signing up, but those concerns aren’t necessary say police.

Hanover Police Chief Chris Knoll speaks to business owner Jenn Heerema about the CamSafe program. Dec. 22, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

“The police are not watching your video feed. They might come and say there’s been a crime in the area, do you have any footage that might assist us, and you can voluntarily make that feed available to them. It’s not big brother watching anybody at all,” said Selwyn Hicks, a local lawyer and business owner, and member of Hanover’s Police board.

Although Knoll isn’t disclosing how many surveillance cameras have signed up for CAMSAFE in Hanover, he said they cover every corner of the community and officers have already used the CAMSAFE portal since it launched in Hanover in mid-November.

“Our officers can jump onto the secure website and they can see who has cameras in a particular area. It really creates timely access to that information. Our officers have been using it almost on a daily basis, I’d say,” Knoll added.