Dover Police Department announces Virtual Neighborhood Watch

posted on: 6/27/2019

Chief William Breault of the Dover Police Department is pleased to announce a new program that will help strengthen the partnership between the police and the public while helping officers investigate cases more efficiently.

The new program is called “Virtual Neighborhood Watch” and it is intended to help solve crimes and keep our community safe. Due to advances in technology, security cameras are less expensive, easy to install, and more prevalent than before. Many businesses and homeowners have security cameras, which means those cameras could inadvertently be a witness to a crime nearby. Virtual Neighborhood Watch (VNW) allows residents and business owners who have surveillance cameras to register their addresses or businesses with the Dover Police Department.

The Dover Police Department is not asking for live access to camera systems. The Dover Police Department will not monitor the security cameras. We will only contact registered participants if a crime occurs in or around their neighborhood to see if the cameras captured what took place. By getting this information to the police as soon as possible, it will help the investigating officers solve crimes faster and more efficiently.

Once participants register their camera with the Dover Police Department, they will only be notified if a crime or incident occurs in or around their neighborhood. The participants will be asked to check their footage for any activity. A camera mounted on a garage or home could make a critical difference in an officers’ ability to identify a suspect or solve a case.

This is a completely voluntary program and participants can opt out at any time.

To register for the VNW, you can visit the Dover Police Department homepage and click on the Virtual Neighborhood Watch link (bit.ly/doverpolice) or email Sgt. Alex Mitrushi at a.mitrushi@dover.nh.gov.