Hyattsville police launch voluntary camera registry to aid investigations

Hyattsville police have launched a voluntary camera registry that lets homes and businesses inside the incorporated city share camera locations with investigators, while stopping short of giving officers automatic access to the video itself.

The program, built into the city’s City Protect system, requires a City Protect account and is limited to properties within the incorporated City of Hyattsville. The registry is not publicly listed. Instead of live access, the city says police receive camera metadata and contact details, including the camera’s location, the direction it points, its features, a description and the owner’s information.

That distinction is the core privacy tradeoff. Police say the list will help investigators find potential cameras near a crime scene more quickly, but officers will still have to contact the owner and ask for permission before viewing any footage if it appears useful to a case. Residents and business owners keep control of their recordings, while police gain a faster way to identify where evidence may exist.

The Hyattsville Police Department says the effort fits its broader approach to community policing. The department says it works “as a team to provide responsive, innovative, effective and efficient police services while creating partnerships to build public confidence, manage fear and control crime.” City Protect also gives users verified crime maps and crime alerts, putting the camera registry alongside other neighborhood safety tools.

Hyattsville’s move comes as Prince George’s County has also leaned more heavily on camera-based crime fighting. On March 21, 2023, the County Council unanimously passed CB-008-2023, the “Jayz Agnew Law,” named for 13-year-old Jayz Agnew, who was fatally shot on Nov. 8, 2022. The county program offers rebates or vouchers of up to $200 for cameras and up to $100 for subscription costs, part of an effort to expand surveillance in priority areas.

Prince George’s County Police, which is the fourth-largest law enforcement agency in Maryland, says more than 1,500 officers and 300 civilians serve nearly 900,000 residents and business owners. The county force is led by Chief George Nader, who has 32 years of law enforcement experience and has held the job since June 18, 2025. Together, the county and Hyattsville programs show how local officials are trying to use private cameras as a faster investigative tool while leaving ownership and access in private hands.