Community Camera Program

Do you have a surveillance camera at your residence or business? If so, the Odessa Police Department would like to partner with you in keeping your neighborhood safe.

Video surveillance is one of the best methods for apprehending criminals and convicting suspects who are caught in the act of committing a crime. But we are not always aware of who has cameras that may contain potentially vital information. The Odessa Police Department wants your help in fighting crime and invites you to take part in our Community Camera Program. This safety initiative will allow residents and business owners to register the locations of their video surveillance systems with the Odessa Police Department to help deter and fight crime in Odessa.

By registering your camera with the Odessa Police Department, officers can quickly identify nearby cameras that may have captured criminal activity. After registering your camera, you will only be contacted by the Odessa Police Department if there is a criminal incident in the vicinity of your security camera and police personnel believe viewing your video footage will assist in the investigation.

This program is entirely voluntary and you can withdraw consent to view video footage from your camera system at any time. The information you provide regarding your camera system(s) will be for official use only and does not provide the Odessa Police Department with access to your system. Your personal information will remain confidential and not be distributed except as required by law or court order. If necessary, the Odessa Police Department will contact you directly, using the information provided by you at the time of registration, to request the appropriate video surveillance footage. Any footage containing or related to criminal activity collected by the Odessa Police Department may be used as evidence during any stage of a criminal proceeding and registrants could be subject to a court subpoena. Under no circumstances shall the registrants construe that they are acting as an agent and/or employee of the City of Odessa or the Odessa Police Department through the program. Questions about the program, registering your camera(s), or canceling your registration can be emailed to odessapd@cityofodessamo.com or call 816-633-7575 to speak with Chief Josh Thompson.

If you would like to register your security camera system with the Odessa Police Department and allow officers to contact you should a crime occur in or near where your camera is installed, please fill out this online form. We appreciate your participation in this community-police partnership to help keep Odessa a great place to live.