VSO LAUNCHES ‘CONNECT VOLUSIA’ INITIATIVE FOR HOME, BUSINESS SECURITY CAMERAS *Registration doesn’t provide a live video feed – but it lets detectives know where cameras are located* Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood today announced the official launch of the latest public safety/technology initiative at the Sheriff’s Office: Connect Volusia, a “Real-Time Crime Center in the Cloud” platform allowing residents and businesses to add their security cameras to a countywide database that will help detectives quickly track down video evidence and solve crimes. Powered by Fusus, the new camera registry serves as an online portal for citizens to register their security cameras and speed up the delivery of video evidence in the event of a crime. Registering a camera is done quickly and easily through the self-service portal at: connect.volusiasheriff.gov “Video cameras are helping solve crimes every day, from a theft at Walmart to a shooting in a residential neighborhood,” Sheriff Chitwood said. “With Connect Volusia, detectives will have one more tool to find crucial evidence and solve cases fast.” Camera registration does not give the Sheriff’s Office access to anyone’s live video. It only provides location information to track down cameras when an incident occurs. Registrant information will be kept confidential. It’s hoped the voluntary camera registration process will reduce the need for door-to-door canvassing, freeing up valuable time for detectives to pursue other avenues and potential leads. That’s the basic goal of Connect Volusia. But for those who want to take their security to a higher level and send live video to the Sheriff’s Office, an upgrade to their camera system can make that possible. This feature can be especially useful for businesses and large organizations, and has already integrated many cameras on our roads and highways and government facilities. By installing a small Fusus CORE device on their network, users can share live video feeds with the Sheriff’s Office during emergencies. For privacy, it’s possible to choose to share live video only on alert – using a smartphone app or manual trigger button at the camera owner’s discretion. This upgrade can be requested following the camera registration process online. It requires purchase of the CORE device and an annual subscription that varies in price depending on the number of cameras and amount of storage needed. One more useful feature of Connect Volusia is the option for registered users to send text messages, photos and videos directly to the Sheriff’s Office to report suspicious or criminal activity. To register a camera, please visit connect.volusiasheriff.gov and follow the instructions. For more information about this and other programs at the Volusia Sheriff's Office, please visit volusiasheriff.gov.