Got cameras? You can help prevent crime and solve cases with Sheriff’s SCRAM Program
SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has announced a new Security Camera Registry and Mapping Program (SCRAM), that will allow residents and business owners to register their security camera systems with the department. Participating in the voluntary program will help expand local law enforcement’s investigative abilities and potentially help to quickly identify possible witnesses, victims, or suspects.
The goal of the Sheriff’s camera registry program is to enhance crime prevention and public safety while deterring crime and promoting public safety, say officials. It will help with gathering critical information related to crimes potentially captured on home and business surveillance videos and will be used to help deter criminal activity and assist deputies with their investigations.
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“Video surveillance is one of the best methods for apprehending criminals and convicting suspects who are caught in the act of committing a crime,” officials said of the collaboration between the Sheriff’s Office and the community they serve. “Installing video surveillance is a great example of community-police partnerships and is something we highly value as a law enforcement agency serving a rural community.”
Participation in SCRAM will allow officials to create a readily accessible database to aid them in locating crucial evidence to help solve crimes. This process greatly expedites and enhances investigations and can often lead to the quick apprehension of criminals.
Using the geographic locations of the registered cameras, when a crime is committed anywhere near where a SCRAM registered security camera may be located, the department will refer to their list of registered residents and businesses in those areas to help quickly identify any possible cameras that may have captured something of interest.
“The Department may ask the citizen to check their video surveillance system for a specific date and time for video capturing a suspect, getaway car, or a crime,” officials explained; saying that if anything of potential evidentiary value is found they can make arrangements for officers to review and possibly retrieve the video.
Other California law enforcement agencies, such as the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in Southern California’s Inland Empire, have rolled out similar programs with great success, with Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Albert Martinez saying, “Security cameras can be a powerful tool in crime deterrence,” after their program was implemented.
Registering your camera in the voluntary program does not give the Sheriff’s Office free or unrestricted access to your cameras or recorded video and they will not have access to your footage unless you provide it.
If you have a residential or business security camera and are interested in additional information or want to enroll in the program, visit the Sheriff’s SCRAM information and registration page online.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS). Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Mountain Echo in Shasta County, Riverside County-based newspapers, Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.