MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — If you could help fight crime in Martin County, would you do it?
A new partnership with residents has helped the sheriff’s office crack multiple cases. It’s called the "Connect Martin County Exterior Camera Registry." The tool allows neighbors to share their own camera footage outside of their home or business.
In June, the sheriff’s office arrested Dana Ellis Tuomi, accused of burglarizing a home in the Little Club community.
Robin Elia said she walked into her home and found Tuomi rummaging through her jewelry box in her bedroom. WPTV’s Ethan Stein first spoke to Elia’s husband, Michael Ciocci, shortly after the burglary, who said the worst part of it is another man scaring his wife.
“Just him making her feel like that makes me angry at him,” Ciocci said. “That’s all I can say on TV. I’d like to see him again. That’s what bothers me the most that he probably scared her.”
One month later, Ciocci walked WPTV's Briana Nespral through his neighborhood, showing her the different cameras surrounding their home. He said that even though there are cameras outside homes and the community center, he still does not feel safe.
“Sometimes I get up at night and shine my flashlight out around the outside just to see the perimeter. Because it’s in our heads now, all because of him,” said Ciocci.
The sheriff’s office credits its camera registry and neighbors sharing video of Tuomi walking around the neighborhood.
“This surveillance footage is one of the key pieces of evidence we received from the community that helped make an arrest,” said Lt. Yesenia Carde, who leads the program. “Had it not been for the partnership with the community that we already have, he would probably still be on the streets.”
Carde said since the story aired and the sheriff’s office arrested Tuomi last month, the numbers have doubled on the registry.
WPTV asked if this program is an invasion of privacy.
“This by no means is big brother,” said Carde. “This is absolutely voluntary, and this is just a program letting us know that you have cameras.”
Carde said the sheriff’s office is now making it their mission to educate the community about this new program.
WPTV’s cameras were rolling when Lt. Carde visited Visionary Arts Studio in Stuart, teaching owner Lynne Barletta about the registry.
“Times have changed, things have changed,” said Barletta. “Our school is growing. And it’s just important to have that in place.”
Barletta said nobody has ever broken into her business, but still has her concerns, wanting to keep her students and staff safe.
“There’s people that come through the parking lot. There’s people that come up to the door,” said Barletta. “And we don’t leave our doors open ever.”
WPTV helped Barletta register her exterior cameras into the program. She said it was "easy” and “anybody could do it”. She called it a “make or break to solve crimes”.
WPTV reached out to other sheriff’s offices in our viewing area. We found St. Lucie and Indian River counties both have active camera registries. Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties do not.
However, some local departments, like West Palm Beach police, Delray Beach police, and Riviera Beach police, each have its own registry.
