Police unions want private surveillance cameras registered with gov't

The police unions want to oblige Netherlands citizens to register their surveillance cameras with the government. "Discussions with detectives show that it is becoming increasingly important in serious crimes to have footage very quickly", union NPB chairman Jan Struijs said to NOS. "There are a lot of cameras in the Netherlands, but we do not always know where."

The Netherlands already has a voluntary register for surveillance cameras. According to AD, around 200 thousand private surveillance cameras are currently on that register. But there are many more that are not registered, and a growing number of Dutch people are buying their own cameras.

Currently the police have to do a neighborhood investigation after a crime to find out where the surveillance cameras are. That costs precious time. It's especially essential for the police to have information on criminals' escape routes quickly.

"You see the escape route of a serious crime can sometimes be kilometers long. It really helps if you can have that footage at your disposal within the hour", Struijs said to NOS. According to him, detectives speak of the 'golden hour' in which the first clues are collected.

The unions want to discuss the mandatory registration of private surveillance cameras with the government as soon as possible.