Marietta police department cracking down on crime with community program

Michele Newell
·2 min read

The Marietta police department is sending out a reminder to community members and business owners about a camera registry system they use to help solve crime.

Police said they’ve heard from a number of residents that don’t know how the program fully works.

If a homeowner or business owner has security cameras on their property in Marietta, they could register for the S.M.I.L.E program.

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By registering, the only information police need is the homeowner or business owner’s address, name, and best contact phone number.

Officers do not have access to the cameras.

If a crime occurs near a home or business that is registered, police will ask the business owner or homeowner to review the video to see if there is something on it that could help police solve a crime. You can also register if you’re a renter.

A map within the police department shows the location of each place that is registered.

The map is secure with limited and tracked access.

The program isn’t uncommon. Numerous police departments have similar systems in place.

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“Before you know it I’ve invested 15 to 30 minutes of time that I could be solving your crime if I simply knew how to get a hold of people that do have a camera,” said Chuck McPhilamy, the Public Information Officer for the Marietta Police Department.

McPhilamy said his team has been able to solve a number of crimes with help from the community.

“Whatever that crime is that we’re trying to solve at that particular moment, if we have more people signed up it’s going to be that much easier for us to get a hold of that individual,” McPhilamy said.

When it comes to crime in Marietta, McPhilamy said there’s been a slight increase but nothing drastic, he credits that to the help the department has received from the community.

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“The biggest thing driving our crime rates is larceny and it’s larceny from retail stores. We have two different Walmarts within our jurisdiction and one Target and it’s usually one of those three big box stores that are driving those crime stats,” McPhilamy said.

McPhilamy said each store is active in cracking down on the problem and that has resulted in quick arrests.

If you live in Marietta and want to register for the S.M.I.L.E. program, you can here: https://www.mariettaga.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2073

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