Police say the City of Madison is a little safer after the integration of an intelligence system called “Connect Madison” that allows police to access the cameras of regular businesses and citizens who opt in.

According to a release from Madison Police Department, the technology has already helped solve crimes while also streamlining public safety and investigative efforts.

Through “Connect Madison,” a camera owner can register their camera with the system, which allows police to know that there is a camera there in case there is an incident. If something happens in the area, an investigator can contact the camera’s owner to see if there’s any video evidence collected by their device.

Registering a camera does not allow the Madison Police Department access that live video stream, it only enables investigators to know a camera is present at your location and easily request video evidence should an incident occur.

If the camera owner would rather integrate their device, that means that Madison Police Department can directly access their camera feed during emergencies, so if something is happening in the neighborhood, they can watch in real time. The user can set preferences to allow police to access all or only some of their cameras. The integration does require the owner to purchase a piece of equipment that allows the connection.

Users can set alert profiles so that alerts are automatically triggered when there is activity that fits the parameters of the profile. Authorities say these tools enable smaller security teams to work smarter and more efficiently.

According to the website, as of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday there were 111 cameras integrated and 24 registered.

If you are a business or homeowner interested in learning more, you can be connected with a representative who can provide further details. Call Madison Police Department at (601) 856-6111 or click here.