Burglars beware: SCRAM program helping police nab criminals

Medford, Ore — In an effort to fight crime homeowners in Medford are partnering with police to identify criminals.

“Everybody’s sleeping but those cameras are still going,” said Lt. Mike Budreau talking about the SCRAM program.

Frightening scenes play out in the early morning hours, criminals searching for a way in, listening for signs of life before they try and enter your home.

“We’re going to be interested to see what kind of cars are driving by at 2, 3, 4 in the morning and that’s when a lot of these crimes are happening, the burglaries, the vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles,” said Lt. Budreau.

Residents wary of crime are fighting back with the help of Medford Police and the SCRAM program which stands for ‘security camera registration and mapping’.

“If they register their cameras with us and there’s a crime in that area we can see if that camera could have been the key thing that breaks the case open and identifies that suspect,” said Lt. Budreau.

Residents like Doris, who spoke to NBC5 after a 4th incident at her West Medford home.

“Invaded twice, stolen from just on the outside once and then attempted again, it’s been almost a month he’s been targeting me,” said Doris.

Sick of being victimized Doris set up cameras that caught the alleged burglar in the act.

“You really feel like you’re getting picked on or targeted, I hope they get him, I really do.”

Surveillance video gave police a place to start, an identity.

“If we didn’t have the camera we wouldn’t have been able to identify or be close to identifying the suspect, so the camera was key, as we’ve seen in so many other cases,” said Lt. Budreau.

That’s good, says Doris, but the invasion of privacy still haunts her.

“Until he’s convicted… then maybe I’ll feel better.”

Lt. Budreau says the SCRAM program has been such a success cities in northern Oregon are looking at starting similar camera registrations of their own.

If you have a household security camera and would like to sign up for the program you can find the form here – SCRAM Program

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Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.
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