Project IRIS
Help support community safety in Surrey by registering your external security camera with Project IRIS. You can help provide potential evidence if an incident occurs in your area.
Project IRIS (Integrated Resources for Investigations & Safety) is Surrey Police Service’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera registry program. Project IRIS is a database that lists the location of registered external security cameras owned by residents and businesses in Surrey to help police investigate crimes and other incidents.
If you have a security camera outside your home or business, you can register your camera to help SPS gather video recordings after a reported incident.
- Registration is voluntary and easy.
- All information is confidential and secure.
- You can withdraw from the program at any time.
How Project IRIS works
- When an incident occurs, police will search the Project IRIS database to view the list of registered security cameras located in the incident area.
- SPS will then contact the camera owner(s) directly to request specific video recordings during the time of the incident.
- Owner(s) will then provide relevant video recordings directly to SPS, at their own discretion, on a case-by-case basis. SPS does not have access to your video recordings without your consent.
Note: Incidents can vary from thefts and vandalism, to missing persons and other serious crimes.
Eligible cameras
All types of cameras that record video (and audio) that can be retrieved and replayed are eligible for Project IRIS. If your camera only displays live viewing, it is not eligible.
How registering for Project IRIS helps
Project IRIS was developed to help police investigate criminal activities and important investigations more quickly and efficiently.
When an incident occurs, police canvass surrounding neighbourhoods and properties for camera video recordings that may have captured images that could support an investigation. This process can take a significant amount of police time and resources. By signing up for Project IRIS you are helping save considerable time canvassing for relevant video.
Project IRIS:
- Gives residents and businesses the opportunity to directly support community safety in their community.
- Supports police so they can conduct investigations more quickly and efficiently.
- Helps keep video recordings off social media, which can hinder investigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I register my camera with this program, will police have a live feed view using my camera?
No. Police will not have direct access to your camera or videos stored in your camera system. You will need to give police the video files. Project IRIS is a database for police to contact residents who have external video cameras to enquire if police can access potential video.
I have a few cameras inside my house that are part of my video camera system. I don’t want police to access those.
Project IRIS is a camera registry system for external cameras only. Police will not ask for camera video recordings inside your house unless a crime occurred within your home and you give permission to police to access those files. Project IRIS also allows you to select specific cameras to register. You can specify which cameras you’d like to register when you sign up.
I was part of the City of Surrey’s Project IRIS program, do I need to reapply to be part of SPS’s Project IRIS?
Yes. The City of Surrey will no longer be administering the Project IRIS program. Camera records will not be transferred to Surrey Police Service. If you would like to continue with Project IRIS you can fill out a camera registry form here: Project IRIS Camera Registry
I signed up for Project IRIS but now I’d like to withdraw my cameras and no longer participate.
Registration with Project IRIS is completely voluntary. You can withdraw your registration at any time. Just email projectiris@surreypolice.ca and ask to be removed from the registry.
Is it the City of Surrey or SPS that manages the Project IRIS database?
Surrey Police Service manages the Project IRIS database and has access to the list of addresses that have registered cameras using SPS’s camera signup form. SPS does not have direct access to specific camera video recordings or a live feed of registered cameras.
I don’t have a camera to register but I am a victim of a crime, can I request police pull Project IRIS video recordings from the surrounding area?
If a crime has been committed where there is no threat of violence or loss of life, and no suspects are present, please call Non-Emergency at 604-599-0502. When speaking to our call-takers you may request that police pull camera video recordings from the area.
If my video recordings are used, do I have to appear as a witness if a case goes to court?
No. When your video recordings are turned over to police, they will assume responsibility for any video recordings used in a courtroom.