CLERMONT, Fla. – The Clermont Police Department has launched a real-time camera access network and is calling on the community to help expand its reach.
“Connect Clermont” gives officers mobile access to live city- and county-owned cameras.
Police began using the program during Clermont’s Independence Day event, and since then, the city has been working to get participation from businesses and homeowners.
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Capt. Malcom Draper said the public’s participation will greatly enhance emergency preparedness by enabling first responders to better assess and respond to criminal activity and emergency situations.
“The fact that an officer knows that you have a camera in that location can cut our investigation time considerably,” Draper said.
Under the first level of participation, businesses and homeowners can register their security cameras with “Connect Clermont” to help identify area cameras in case of an incident.
Registering a camera does not allow the Clermont Police Department to access its live video stream. Instead, it enables investigators to know a camera is present at a location.
Under the second level, businesses and residents can integrate their cameras, which would give officers direct access to a live feed in case of a nearby emergency.
Draper said the goal for “Connect Clermont” is to establish a real-time crime center at police headquarters, which should be finished by the end of 2026.
“There’s a lot of cameras out there. The more data available to our officers that are boots on the ground, the better,” Draper said.
For more details about the “Connect Clermont” program, visit https://keepclermontsafe.org/