Police in Canada look into tech that accesses your home security cameras

An officer looks at a screen showing a network of security cameras from people's homes and businesses around the city, which can be watched all at once, in real-time. They access areas from which emergency calls come in, or scenes of crimes.

That's how policing is done in some U.S. cities — and police forces in Canadian cities are looking into it.

"We foresee a progression for the Hamilton police to incorporate this technology in the future, however there are currently no timelines for implementing this," Jackie Penman, a spokesperson for the police service in Hamilton, told CBC News.

Hamilton police was one of over a dozen Canadian police agencies in attendance at the Real Time Crime Center Operations and Tech Integration conference in Mississauga, Ont., in early October, CBC Hamilton has learned.

Some of those in attendance saw a demo of Fusus — a paid service that makes it easier for police to access privately owned security camera footage from residents and businesses.

It's a technology becoming more common across the U.S., with police saying it makes the job easier.

But it has policing researchers worried about whether it's surveillance overkill — and privacy commissioners say they want to be consulted if officers do use Fusus, given it would allow police to watch citizens without a warrant.

"This is the perfect time for the public and law enforcement to think about what policing practices we want in Canada," said Natasha Tusikov, a former analyst with Criminal Intelligence Service Canada and researcher with the RCMP who is now an associate criminology professor at York University.

Lt. Brendon Barth has worked with Atlanta Police Department (APD) — which uses Fusus — for over two decades.

"It is greatly enhancing our ability to fight and prevent crime and keep people safe and that is the goal," Barth said in an interview with CBC Hamilton.

Fusus contacts people asking if they want to sign up their cameras, he said. People can also sign up on their own.

Residents can give police real-time access to their cameras or let APD know they are willing to review and share video if needed.

Barth said APD has live access to over 16,000 integrated cameras. There are 18,500 cameras owned by people willing to share video.

Barth said the technology allows officers responding to 911 calls to get more details as they head to the scene and simplifies investigating crimes after the fact.