It’s easy to lampoon many proposals coming out of Albany as soft on crime. It would have been easy to do so with a proposal introduced recently by Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, D-Corona, that would place limits on police departments’ access to doorbell camera footage as part of crime investigations.

We have concerns with Cruz’ proposals, but we can understand what is prompting her to act. Look no further than the situation in China right now to see just how much unchecked camera surveillance can curtail the civil liberties of someone with whom the government doesn’t agree. Across China, tens of thousands of people tagged as troublemakers are trapped in a digital cage, barred from leaving their province and sometimes even their homes by the world’s largest digital surveillance apparatus. Most of this technology came from companies in a country that has long claimed to support freedoms worldwide: the United States.

Obviously, we don’t live in Communist China. Doorbell cameras are being used to make people feel more safe in their homes from the threat of home break-ins. Installation of doorbell cameras and other surveillance cameras are one of the first things most police officers suggest when they respond to a property crime – and they are one of the first things police officers turn to when trying to solve both large and small crimes.

It’s important to find a balance between using technology to solve crimes and the over-the-top abuse of surveillance technology happening in China. Cruz’ bill – which can’t be discussed legislatively until January’s session begins, would prohibit police departments from accessing the recordings without a warrant or specific consent from the owner of the equipment. Our concern is that most people with security cameras likely don’t mind police departments using those videos to keep their neighborhood safe. Rather than require search warrants, we’d prefer the state require camera owners who are using apps like the Neighbor app to give consent up front to use doorbell camera footage and require a search warrant for those who don’t consent but whose footage may hold the key to solving a crime.

In our opinion, Cruz’ bill is well-meaning but creates an unnecessary impediment to basic police work. We should be able to protect people’s privacy while not creating roadblocks to use a key public safety tool.