Crime View
Help the Ankeny Police Department by letting us know if you have a doorbell camera or exterior video surveillance equipment!
The Ankeny Police Department is reaching out to Ankeny residents and business owners for help in keeping our community safe. Security camera systems can be a great crime deterrent, and the video footage captured can be helpful in a Police investigation.
Neighborhood canvasses can take up a large amount of time for investigators, and time can be critical when officers are looking for information and trying to identify critical investigative leads. Often, security camera systems capture valuable information, but it may go undiscovered if the resident or business owner is unaware of what happened.
For investigators, knowing who may have valuable video evidence of a crime or critical incident enhances their efficiency and effectiveness in keeping the community safe. Many cases in recent history have been resolved with the aid of doorbells and exterior building security camera footage provided by residents and business owners. When the community works together in conjunction with the Police Department to keep the streets safe, we all benefit.
How It Works
The program allows residents and business owners to register the availability of security camera systems or doorbell cameras with the Ankeny Police Department. The Police Department will then more readily know the locations of nearby video cameras and will contact the owner if needed.
The Ankeny Police Department will only contact registered camera owners if a criminal incident occurs within the vicinity of the respective security camera and if the investigators believe the footage could assist in the investigation. Investigators would then ask the registered camera owner to let them review the video during the time period in which the incident occurred.
The Ankeny Police Department will not have remote access to your cameras, and cannot access your cameras without your knowledge. Authorized investigators will only have access to your name, address, and contact information. Being part of the Crime View program is completely voluntary, and you can ask to be removed from the Crime View program at any time. If you are voluntarily enrolled in the Crime View program and a request is made by the Police Department for video, you have the right to refuse that request.
Privacy
Your privacy is important to the Ankeny Police Department, and we will make every effort to protect it. The information you provide will not be released to anyone who does not have a lawful right to it. Even within the Ankeny Police Department, only those employees who have a legitimate reason to access the information will be privy to it.