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Fairfax County police are inviting residents and businesses to connect their security cameras to a new voluntary program designed to help investigators find video evidence faster.

Connect Fairfax County, announced in late January, offers two levels of participation involving Ring doorbells and other privately owned surveillance systems.

Residents using the first option can register their cameras with the Fairfax County Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center through an online portal. Registration places each camera on a map, giving officers a quicker way to identify possible footage near a crime or other incident.

FCPD Capt. Hudson Bull said investigators traditionally visit an area and knock on doors to ask whether nearby cameras captured what happened. The registry could direct detectives to relevant cameras and help them obtain digital evidence before arriving at the scene.

The second option allows camera owners to give police direct access to live footage. Aimed primarily at businesses, it requires a fususCORE device that starts at $350, along with a $150 annual fee.

Capt. Kent Bailey said live access could assist with criminal investigations as well as searches for critically missing people and reviews of suspicious activity, events or individuals.

As of Thursday, Feb. 6, participants had registered 50 cameras through the program’s first option.

Bull described the initiative as another way to strengthen cases, collect evidence more efficiently and resolve investigations sooner.

Residents and businesses can learn more or enroll their cameras through the program’s website.