Assen has long been ravaged by car fires. Last year it was hit dozens of times and also in the new year the fire brigade had to turn out a few times in the provincial capital. The municipality therefore decided to temporarily install cameras in the Pittelo district of Assen. But residents themselves can also contribute to the safety of the neighbourhood.
They do this by installing cameras or video doorbells and registering them with the police. Citizens and companies can register with this system, called ‘Camera in View’. In the event of a crime, these camera images can help to trace perpetrators. In the system, the police can then see which residents and businesses have a camera and then retrieve the images and use them to track down the suspects.
Having a video doorbell or another kind of camera makes sense, explains police spokesman Kim Eissen. “We can see the time of a crime, the motive, the gender or other perpetrator information. All of that is valuable to us. All types of cameras can also be used.”
Citizen information is particularly useful in car fires, says Eissen. “Car tire studies are like puzzles. They are all pieces that have to fit together. It is complicated and sometimes just that one citizen can have important information; the last piece of the puzzle.”