The city’s new security camera program is gaining steam as more people take part.
The city partnered with Orillia OPP to launch the Security Camera Registry and Mapping (SCRAM) program April 22, giving residents and businesses the option to install cameras on the exterior of their buildings and register them with police.
Those who take part can apply for a rebate to cover half the cost of the camera system, to a maximum of $500.
During the first intake, one application was received. The second intake, from May to July, saw 10 applications.
There are currently 71 cameras registered with SCRAM, the Orillia Police Services Board (OPSB) learned at its meeting Tuesday.
“That’s a very good sign,” said Mayor Steve Clarke, chair of the board. “Hopefully, the growing interest in the (rebate) program will continue.”
He encourages people to take part, saying the system serves two main purposes: deterring crime and assisting with criminal investigations.
“This is a great way to get the community involved,” he said.
During the meeting, the OPSB approved $1,885.81 in rebates, bringing the total provided this year to $2,048.31. That leaves $22,951.69 remaining in the rebate budget for 2021.
Since launching in April, SCRAM has been “fairly seamless,” Clarke said.
There has been one “growing pain,” he added.
In a letter to the OPSB, Insp. Coyer Yateman, Orillia OPP detachment commander, noted he had “learned of a challenge with respect to the SCRAM program and the ability for police to review the surveillance videos.”
When investigating, police ask for the camera owners’ help in making a copy of the surveillance video. Police provide them with a thumb drive, which comes with a cost.
“Further the videos come from different operating systems and most videos cannot be reviewed on our OPP computers without downloading the software first,” Yateman wrote. “The challenge here is that most software is not permitted on our OPP computers, which results in significant delays to review surveillance videos.”
He asked the OPSB to provide funding for a standalone computer, which would not be connected to the OPP network, as well as for thumb drives. Surveillance software would be downloaded on the computer and officers would use it to review footage.
The cost of the computer is estimated to be $500 to $800 and thumb drives cost $5 to $8 each.
Clarke called Yateman’s request “very appropriate.”
“We want to make sure that it is viable and it works,” he said.
The board agreed to provide a maximum of $1,500 for the purchase of thumb drives and a computer.
