Ottawa police are promoting a voluntary security camera registry program they say helps investigators contact residents and businesses faster during investigations.
The CAMSafe program allows residents and businesses to register their security cameras, doorbell cameras and contact information in a searchable police database. Officers can then identify nearby cameras and request footage during investigations.
Ottawa police publicly highlighted the program this spring following a theft investigation in which officers used CAMSafe to locate potential surveillance footage after a woman’s jewelry was stolen.
Police say investigators used CAMSafe to identify nearby registered cameras and contact residents and businesses for footage.
While police described the investigation as an example of CAMSafe helping speed up evidence gathering, officers acknowledged during interviews that the footage did not ultimately solve the case.
“We are optimistic,” Sergeant Sebastian Lemay from the Ottawa Police said. “Obviously, we’re gonna get a good success story, but we haven’t quite gotten it.”
Ottawa Police Service spokesperson Breanna Flis described the program less as a crime-solving tool and more as a way to make investigations more efficient.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be like this game-changing tool to solve cases,” she told The Leveller. “I think it’s going to help put puzzle pieces together faster.”
The Ottawa police officers who spoke to The Leveller said the law enforcement side of the platform displays registered cameras on a searchable map and allows officers to identify cameras in surrounding areas during investigations.
Flis described the platform as “basically like a giant phone book” explaining that officers can click registered cameras and generate spreadsheets containing names, phone numbers, and email addresses associated with nearby surveillance systems.
Police also confirmed officers’ searches are logged and auditable.
“We’ve developed a standard operating procedure about exactly that,” Sergeant Lemay said. “People need to investigate who researched what.”
CAMSafe founder Jeremy Ashley, a Belleville police officer, said the platform was created to simplify the process of locating potential surveillance footage during investigations.
“What CAMSafe does is provide contact information only for those residents, businesses, or industries that have those cameras,” he said.
“No data or information, no footage gets pushed through CAMSafe. All CAMSafe is literally that: a directory of people who may or may not have camera footage that may be of interest to police.” Ashley said.
CAMSafe is currently operated through the Belleville Police Service but is expected to transition to provincial ownership within the next several months, according to Ashley.
“It’ll probably be in the next six to eight months, truly a provincial program owned and operated by the province,” he said.
Ashley said the platform has expanded rapidly across Ontario since its launch.
The platform is now used in more than 50 Ontario communities and by over 20 municipal police services alongside the Ontario Provincial Police.
Although CAMSafe does not provide police with direct access to live footage, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has emphasized that systems involving personal information require strong privacy safeguards, including audits, access controls, and privacy impact assessments. Privacy advocates and surveillance critics argue that programs like it can still contribute to the gradual expansion and normalization of police access to privately owned camera networks over time.
“Any surveillance technology should be evidence-based. If they’re bringing something in, the question should be: is this actually going to reduce harm?”
During the interview, Ashley acknowledged that some police agencies are developing “real-time crime integration centers” that allow direct access to surveillance systems, but insisted CAMSafe is fundamentally different.
“That is completely not what CAMSafe is,” he said. “It stays in its own lane.”
Still, critics argue the distinction may not fully address broader concerns about how surveillance systems evolve once police agencies begin building larger networks tied to privately owned cameras.
The debate comes amid growing scrutiny of police surveillance technologies across North America.
While CAMSafe is significantly more limited than automated surveillance systems such as the Flock Safety license plate reader networks in the United States, critics say programs that centralize information about privately owned cameras could contribute to broader surveillance expansion over time.
Investigations by 404 Media and other outlets have examined concerns surrounding Flock Safety systems in the United States, including questions around data sharing, access and the expansion of interconnected surveillance networks.
Robin Browne of 613-819 Black Hub Noir said his concerns extend beyond the platform’s current capabilities and focus on how police may ultimately use new surveillance tools.
“Same reaction I have to every new police initiative, which is basically the concern around how they will use whatever the initiative is, and whether they will disproportionately use it negatively against marginalized groups,” Browne said.
He pointed to Ottawa Police Service data showing disproportionate use of force against Black and Middle Eastern residents as an example of why some community members remain skeptical of expanded policing tools.
“The potential is there, obviously. That’s our concern around things like body cameras – everything police have. Because we have a police force whose own data shows they continue to use force disproportionately on Black and Middle Eastern people,” Browne said.
Locally, the Coalition Against More Surveillance (CAMS-Ottawa) has previously criticized expanded surveillance measures in Ottawa, including police monitoring technologies and surveillance of protesters.
Editor’s Note: CAMS-Ottawa did not respond to request for comment prior to publication.
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) confirmed it was not consulted on the development of the Belleville Police Service’s CAMSafe program.
The IPC also confirmed it has “an active file on the Belleville Police Service’s use of the program,” but declined to comment further on the nature of the review.
The office said Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act now require institutions to conduct privacy impact assessments (PIA) before collecting personal information, with requirements for municipal institutions and police services set to take effect in January 2027.
“Our office has long advised institutions to conduct PIAs, which are a globally recognized privacy tool, before undertaking projects involving personal information,” the IPC said. “We also encourage police services to make their PIAs, or a summary of their PIAs, publicly available to support public trust, transparency, and accountability.”
Under current legislation, police services are not required to notify the IPC before creating databases involving personal information, though the office said it “strongly encourages institutions, including police services, to consult our office if they are considering new technologies or programs that involve personal information.”
The IPC also outlined recommended safeguards for systems like CAMSafe, including audits, privacy training, access controls and routine monitoring of system logs.
“Strong privacy protections are critical to supporting public trust,” the office said.
Ottawa police officers emphasized that participation in CAMSafe is voluntary and said residents can refuse to provide footage even if they are registered in the database.
Browne said the voluntary nature of the program makes participation itself worth watching.
“It’ll be interesting to see who takes part in the program,” he said. “It’ll be a real test of public confidence — or lack thereof — in the police.”
Browne said participation rates across different neighbourhoods may reveal differing levels of trust in law enforcement.
“If you see, for example, people in low-income neighbourhoods not joining it, that sends a signal.”
Ashley also stressed that users can delete their information at any time.
“If you don’t like the thought of police knowing that you have cameras and a way to contact you, you don’t have to register,” he said. “It’s all voluntary.”
But officers acknowledged police could still seek warrants for footage independently of the platform.
“If you don’t want to share your footage and the police need it, they’ll get a warrant to get it,” Officer Flis said.
Police also acknowledged that, despite concerns about manipulated or AI-altered footage, CAMSafe itself does not authenticate evidence and that evidentiary standards remain part of the court process.
For now, Ottawa police say the program remains relatively small, with roughly 1,400 registered cameras across the city.
But officers say they expect the network to continue expanding through community outreach campaigns and public promotion efforts.
Browne said expanding surveillance programs should be subject to ongoing public scrutiny and evidence-based evaluation.
“Any surveillance technology should be evidence-based,” he said. “If they’re bringing something in, the question should be: is this actually going to reduce harm?”
Browne also argued that police technology investments deserve the same scrutiny applied to other public spending.
“Public services are being cut, but policing keeps getting massive budget increases,” he said. “That whole process should be getting a lot more scrutiny.”
Whether CAMSafe remains a limited investigative directory or becomes part of a broader surveillance ecosystem may ultimately depend on how police agencies, governments and the public shape its future use.
“Being able to work together towards a common objective through the process gave me less anxiety about it all. Building more of a community within the property has been a blessing in and of itself,” she said.
