Volusia County Sheriff’s Office launches new initiative to enhance public safety.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has announced the official launch of Connect Volusia, a new public safety/technology initiative at the Sheriff’s Office, called Connect Volusia, a “Real-Time Crime Center in the Cloud” platform that allows residents and businesses to add their security cameras to a countywide database that can help detectives quickly track down video evidence and solve crimes.

According to a release, Connect Volusia is powered by Fusus, a camera registry that serves as an online portal for citizens to register their security cameras and speed up the delivery of video evidence in the event of a crime. The self-service portal is accessible at www.connect.volusiasheriff.gov.

“Video cameras are helping solve crimes every day, from a theft at Walmart to a shooting in a residential neighborhood,” said Sheriff Chitwood. “With Connect Volusia, detectives will have one more tool to find crucial evidence and solve cases fast.”

Connect Volusia's camera registration process does not give the Sheriff’s Office access to anyone’s live video and only provides location information to track down cameras when an incident occurs. The voluntary camera registration process hopes to reduce the need for door-to-door canvassing, freeing valuable time for detectives to pursue other avenues and potential leads.

Registrant information is kept confidential, and those who want to take their security to a higher level and send live video to the Sheriff’s Office can upgrade their camera system to make that possible. Connect Volusia is a good option for businesses and large organizations and Volusia County has already integrated these cameras on county roads, highways, and government facilities. Plus, there is an option for registered users to send text messages, photos, and videos directly to the Sheriff’s Office to report suspicious or criminal activity.

By installing a small Fusus CORE device on their network, users can share live video feeds with the Sheriff’s Office during emergencies. For privacy, there is an option to share live video only on alert – using a smartphone app or manual trigger button at the camera owner’s discretion.

Camera owners can request the upgrade following the camera registration process online. An annual subscription and the purchase of the CORE device that varies in price depending on the number of cameras and storage needed is required.

For more information about this and other programs offered through the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, please visit www.volusiasheriff.gov.