LA FERIA – Your neighborhood watch is about to get a boost from technology. In Cameron County, the beginning of a movement to make you a part of the fight against crime is underway.

The Cameron County Sheriff has a new request: if you have a security camera, give them a call. It’s the first step, as his department discusses instituting a countywide camera registry.

Traditional forms of security are a big deterrent to many thieves. The alarm signs, the motion sensors, even a good guard dog. The Esquivels live in La Feria. They learned those forms of security don’t always stop someone from committing a crime. They say their daughter’s car was hit right outside their home.

“We’ve had some instances in the neighborhood that have made us very concerned about how secure we are here,” Ann Esquivel told CHANNEL 5 NEWS.

That’s where the Cameron County Sheriff is looking to join forces with the community, “More and more people do have video cameras.”

Sheriff Omar Lucio says if you have one, give them a call. Dispatch will keep a record of your address. If a crime happens in your area, they’ll know where to find the video that could crack the case.

“When something happens, my investigators, like any investigator in any law enforcement agency, they try to see if anybody has video cameras. Then they try to go ahead and see them. And they get great information from it. It’s very helpful to everybody,” says Sheriff Lucio.

Many other law enforcement agencies have instituted an actual voluntary video camera registration for both neighborhoods and businesses. SCRAM in Oregon, COP in California, and Safe Cam in Texas to name a few. The sheriff says that's something they are discussing. 

“If anybody breaks into your house, that’s the best way you can give the information to police," says the sheriff.

The Esquivels say getting that information to police is ultimately what matters. “Whoever catches it, that’s fine. To me, the guilty person needs to get caught,” says Elias Esquivel. 

Using technology is working to create a powerful partnership between the law and you.

If you live in Cameron County and are interested in sharing you have a surveillance system, call dispatch at 956-554-6700.