Police or Insurance Asked for Your Camera Footage? What to Do Before You Hand It Over

Do it soon

Recorders write over old video once the drive fills, and you can't get back what's been overwritten. If you don't know how many days your system holds, our guide on how long to keep camera footage explains how to think about it.

What to have ready

• The date, the rough time, and which cameras should show the event.
• The login for your recorder or camera app, and the person who knows how to use it. If only a former vendor or employee has the password, sort that out now.
• An empty drive, or the secure method the requester prefers. The drive leaves your hands, so keep anything else off it.
• A second computer or device to play the copy and make sure it works.
• A clock check. Compare the recorder's time with your phone and write down any difference. If the recorder runs six minutes slow, the timestamps do too, and the reviewer should know.

Verify who is asking

• Get the requester's name, agency or company, and a way to reach them.
• Ask for the case number or claim number, and write it down.
• For police, ask whether they need a formal written request. Your owner, board, or attorney can tell you what applies to you.
• For insurance, confirm the claim with your own insurer or the adjuster's company before you send anything. Don't rely on an unexpected email or call alone.

Pick the time window

Ask the requester what window they want. If they don't know, start a few minutes before the event, end a few minutes after, and tell them what you picked.

Cover only the cameras and times that relate to the request, and confirm that scope with the requester. Every extra minute can show people who have nothing to do with the incident.

Keep the original intact

• The recording on your system is the original. Leave it alone.
• Share a copy, not the only version.
• Don't trim, edit, filter, or re-save the clip in a video app. The file straight from the system is the one that holds up.
• Don't record the screen with a phone. It usually loses quality and timestamps.
• Don't delete or reformat anything on the recorder to make room during an incident.

Check the copy before you hand it over

• Play the copy on a different device.
• Check that each camera you expected is there, the picture is clear, and the timestamp matches your notes.
• If a drive looks empty or a file won't open, don't hand it over. Try again, or call us.

Share only what was asked

• Give the requester the clips they asked for, not your whole archive.
• Hand over by drive, or by the requester's own secure method.
• Don't post clips online. Don't send them by open links that anyone could forward.
• If a requester wants something broader than you expected, ask why and confirm it with your owner, board, or attorney.

Flag footage of residents or private areas

Pause before you share if the video shows:

• Residents or tenants, especially in hallways, lobbies, and entrances to units
• Children
• Interior or private areas, such as offices, treatment rooms, changing areas, or apartment doors

In a co-op, condo, or multi-tenant building, find out whether the board, the owner, or the managing agent approves sharing footage that shows residents or tenants. Your attorney or insurer can tell you what applies to you. This guide isn't legal advice.

Keep a record

Write a short note with the date, the case or claim number, the camera names, the time range, who you gave the copy to, and when. Keep a copy of exactly what you handed over, and keep the note with it.

When to call PAX

Call if you can't find the clip, the export fails, the recorder is old or you don't know who set it up, the clock is wrong, or you aren't sure whether the footage is safe to share. Call PAX at (855) 440-5353 or email info@paxsecurity.com. You can also reach us through https://paxsecurity.com/contact-us.

Sources

• General practical guidance. This guide gives no legal advice and no manufacturer-specific steps. Ask your owner, board, attorney, or insurer about what applies to you.