Something happened. A car was broken into across the street. A package was stolen from your neighbor's porch. Or worse — someone tried your door handle at 3 AM.

Your security camera caught it. You have the footage. Now what?

I've helped OHWOAI customers share footage with police dozens of times. Most people make one of two mistakes: they don't save the footage properly, or they give away more than they should. Here's how to do it right.

First: Preserve the Footage Immediately

Before you do anything else, save the video. Police can't use footage that's been overwritten.

If your OHWOAI system records continuously to an NVR, the footage will eventually be overwritten. Don't wait. The moment you know something happened, go into your system and export the clip.

How to export:

• Locate the time stamp of the incident
• Use your NVR's playback feature to find the exact moment
• Export the clip (most OHWOAI NVRs export to USB drive or directly to your phone)
• Save at least one minute before and one minute after the event

If you're using a wireless camera with an SD card, remove the card and copy the files to your computer. Don't edit the original file. Police need the unaltered footage.

Pro tip: Keep a dedicated USB drive near your NVR for exactly this purpose. When something happens, you're not scrambling to find one.

What Format Does Police Need?

Most police departments accept common video formats: MP4, AVI, or MOV. OHWOAI systems export in standard MP4 format, which works everywhere.

Don't send proprietary formats or links to cloud accounts that require login. Police officers don't have time to figure out your camera system. Give them a simple video file they can play on any computer.

If you're unsure, export as MP4. It's the universal standard.

How Much Footage Should You Provide?

Too little is useless. Too much is annoying.

Provide footage starting at least 60 seconds before the incident. Context matters. Did the suspect case the area first? Did they arrive in a vehicle? What direction did they come from?

Provide footage until at least 60 seconds after the incident. Where did they go? Did they get into a car? What was the license plate? Did an accomplice appear?

For a package theft, that might be 3-5 minutes total. For a burglary, maybe 10-15 minutes.

If you're not sure, ask the officer how much they want. But don't dump 12 hours of footage on them. They won't watch it.

What to Redact (And What Not To)

This is where privacy gets tricky.

You want to help the police. But you don't want to hand over footage of your kids playing in the backyard or your family having dinner.

Do not edit or alter the original footage. Tampering with video makes it useless as evidence. Even cropping can be questioned in court.

Instead, provide only the relevant time window. That naturally excludes most private moments.

If your camera captures your neighbor's property: You might need to blur or mask it. But most police departments won't ask you to do that. They just need the evidence. However, if you're concerned, ask the officer if they can view the footage at your home instead of taking a copy.

OHWOAI privacy masks: Some OHWOAI cameras let you set privacy masks that permanently block certain areas of the frame. If you're worried about recording neighbors, set those masks before anything happens.

How to Share the Footage

You have several options. Choose the one that balances convenience and security.

USB drive: Copy the footage to a USB drive. Label it with your name, address, date, and case number (if you have one). Hand it to the officer. This is the most common method.

Cloud link: Some police departments accept links to secure cloud storage. Upload the file to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Set sharing to "only people with link." Email the link to the officer. Ask them to download it promptly.

In-person viewing: For sensitive footage (especially if it shows your private spaces), invite the officer to view the footage at your home. They can watch it, take notes, and decide if they need a copy.

What not to do: Don't text the video. It will be compressed and lose quality. Don't post it on social media before giving it to police. That can compromise the investigation.

What About Audio?

This is a legal minefield.

In many states, recording audio without consent is illegal. If your security camera system with audio captured a conversation, providing that audio to police could get you in trouble.

Best practice: Provide video only. Disable audio on exterior cameras. If you must provide audio, consult a lawyer first.

OHWOAI cameras let you disable audio with a single toggle in the app. For front door and exterior cameras, keep audio off unless you have a specific reason to use it.

After You Share the Footage

The police have your video. Now what?

Keep a copy. Don't delete the original from your NVR or SD card until the case is closed. You might need to provide additional angles or longer clips.

Get a receipt. If you hand over a USB drive, ask the officer for a property receipt. This documents what you gave them.

Follow up. If you don't hear anything in a few weeks, call the case officer. Ask if they need anything else.

Don't post online. Your footage could be evidence. Posting it on Facebook or Nextdoor might tip off the suspect or compromise the investigation. Wait until police say it's okay.

A Real Example

A OHWOAI customer in California had his work truck broken into. Tools were stolen. His camera captured the thief's face and license plate.

He exported the 4K footage to a USB drive. He wrote his name, address, and date on the drive. He brought it to the police station. The officer watched the clip on their computer.

The license plate was clear. The thief was identified and arrested within a week. The customer got his tools back.

He said: "The whole process took 15 minutes. The hardest part was finding a USB drive."

When Not to Share Footage

You are not obligated to provide footage to police without a warrant. In most cases, they will ask nicely. You can say yes or no.

Consider saying no if:

• The footage includes private areas of your home (bedrooms, bathrooms)
• The incident is minor and you don't want to get involved
• You have concerns about police using your footage for other purposes

You can always offer to let them view the footage without taking a copy. That protects your privacy while still helping the investigation.

Final Thoughts

Your security camera footage is valuable evidence. But only if you preserve it correctly and share it properly.

Save the clip immediately. Export in MP4 format. Include context before and after. Use a USB drive. Keep audio off. Don't edit the original.

OHWOAI systems make this easy. The NVR exports to USB with a few button presses. The app lets you save clips directly to your phone. And local storage means your footage never leaves your control unless you choose to share it.

When something happens, you'll be ready. And you'll help your community stay safer.