BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
MELFORT, Sask. — The City of Melfort is asking residents and business owners with security cameras to join a new voluntary registry designed to assist law enforcement investigations while protecting participants’ privacy.
The City of Melfort announced Sept. 3 the security camera registry allows homeowners and businesses to register the location of security cameras throughout the community. The city said the initiative could help investigators quickly identify potential video evidence when a crime occurs, without granting authorities direct access to camera systems.
The registry records only the existence and location of cameras. The city emphasized that registration does not provide municipal staff or the RCMP with access to live video feeds, recordings, passwords or camera controls.
If a crime occurs in an area where a registered camera is located, the city or local RCMP may contact the owner to determine whether relevant footage is available. Participation remains voluntary, and camera owners can choose whether to share any recordings.
“The security camera registry is intended to help identify cameras that may contain relevant footage during an investigation,” according to information released by the City.
Residents who register are asked to provide basic information, including their name, contact details, camera address, the number and type of cameras installed, and the areas generally covered by the cameras, where applicable.
According to the city, access to the registry is limited to authorized municipal staff. The information is not publicly available, and any sharing of information with the RCMP occurs only when appropriate for an investigation.
The City of Melfort said personal information collected through the program will be managed in accordance with Saskatchewan’s Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (LA FOIP) and city policies.
The registry is open to a variety of camera types, including residential security cameras, business surveillance systems, doorbell cameras, trail cameras and cameras monitoring parking lots, alleys and other public-adjacent spaces.
Registration is free, and property owners may register multiple cameras at the same location.
The city noted that the registry does not replace reporting crimes to police. Residents who witness or experience a crime should continue to contact the RCMP through the normal reporting process.
Those wishing to register can do so online through the city’s security camera registry portal. Additional information is available through the city’s public safety webpage.
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