The Columbia Police Department is asking downtown businesses and residents if they would be willing to share exterior security camera footage to help police in investigations.
Katie Essing, the Executive Director for the Downtown Community Improvement District, said the Columbia Police Department asked them to compile a list of businesses and residents in the downtown area that have exterior cameras and would be willing to voluntarily share footage with police.
CPD Downtown Unit Sgt. Chad Gooch said the police department already has an existing downtown camera system, but the partnership could fill in gaps in future investigations.
“Currently, there’s not a database or way to know which businesses or homes might have something available. So it’d only be a resource of something were to happen, they could contact a businesses and see if there might be something they could help with that investigation.” Essing said.
The Downtown Community Improvement District has launched a survey on its website to ask businesses and residents in the downtown area if they are willing to join in the partnership.
Gooch said the police department would love to expand its downtown camera system, but is not going to add new exterior security cameras in the downtown area at this point. He said it's not currently developing this type of program within other areas of Columbia.
Essing said once the survey is completed, they’ll pass along the database to the police department.