St. Cloud Police Using Camera Footage “Extensively” in Investigations

Ring Door Bell cameras, drones and cell phone cameras are common now.  St. Cloud Assistant Police Chief Jeff Oxton joined me on WJON today.  He says St. Cloud police are using camera footage "extensively" in investigations.  Jeff couldn't common on specific investigations but did say ring door bell footage has helped greatly in identifying suspects and vehicles in the are where crimes may have been committed.  Oxton says numerous St. Cloud neighborhoods are connected to a network which allows for the sharing of video footage if consent by the home owner is given.  He says the police also have access to this footage if the home owner grants access.

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If a crime is committed in a neighborhood Oxton says investigators contact home owners both digitally and door to door depending on the situation to learn about what they may have seen and if they have a ring door bell camera that could assist in the investigation.  He says they also encourage residents to contact the police with suspicious video caught on their cameras.  Oxton says the quality of these cameras has improved so much that a digital zoom is available to allow them to zero in on objects from a distance away.  He says eye witness testimony can also be a great benefit during many investigations.

Oxton says they've recently created their own video management system which allows them to store video evidence and collect it.  When someone has video evidence the police send that person a link and they can download the footage without needing to leave their home.  He says this is done remotely and is efficient.

The city of St. Cloud has downtown cameras and has had them for many years.  Oxton says those cameras have helped them many times in cases.  He says they also use drone cameras at the scene of accidents, when pursuing a missing person or a crime in progress.

Listen to my full conversation with Assistant Police Chief Jeff Oxton below.