Hendersonville police ask residents to register security cameras in efforts to curb crime

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Hendersonville police are asking citizens and businesses to register their security cameras as part of the Connect Sumner program to quickly deal with emergencies, crimes and disasters.

The Connect Sumner program began in 2023 thanks to a crime grant. Since then, it has grown steadily and now has 1,969 home surveillance cameras and 123 commercial locations registered in the network, which are available to police at any time.

With the program, police are immediately able pinpoint crime using their real-time crime map, which shows first responders in real-time responding to calls. In fact, every police car in Hendersonville is equipped with the technology, allowing each officer to see what they are heading to.

The real-time crime mapping also allows officers to “lasso” designated areas and see crime trends.

However, officials say the highlight of the program is the ability of citizens to share crucial videos with police.

“We can see cameras registered within this system,” said Hendersonville Police Department’s Assistant Chief Scott Ryan as he guided News 2 through a tour of the complex system.

During the tour, Ryan showed News 2 dozens of blue icons in community areas of a map, which, according to him, represents the homes that have registered with police and allows a secure exchange of surveillance video in areas where a crime may have occurred.

According to Ryan, if there is a crime, officers can now email the affected area with a request for information and ask if anyone has visual evidence that can be securely uploaded to police at the homeowner’s discretion.

Previously, police said it would have taken many days to get such a request to the citizens.

“Today we are accomplishing in five minutes what it took three or four days to accomplish with that email request, and it provides a link to securely upload that video,” Ryan said. “We have no access to their system. They select what they want to upload for our use and then we have access to it.”

In addition, Ryan showed News 2 more than 100 green icons on the map, which he said are live cameras police can tap into directly.

According to Ryan, these commercial businesses have given police access to their external surveillance systems at any time. He added police provide the business owner a free device that integrates the video.

“We can go live with all of those with the touch of a button,” he explained, pulling up multiple locations.

One of the locations is a gas station near a busy highway.

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“If we have something like a violent crime in this camera view we just back it up with a click of the mouse till we see the event occur,” said Ryan. “So, never before have we been able to access pictures of suspects and suspect vehicles this quickly.”

Ryan added that the combination of LPR cameras and growing network of citizen videos is making it harder and harder for criminals to escape arrest.

So, if you are the owner of a home or business in the area and want to be part of the program, your are advised to contact the Hendersonville Police Department or visit ConnectSumner.org .

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