The San Jose, Calif. Police Department has partnered with a video surveillance company to give police a faster way to find and obtain home-security video from residents who live near a crime scene.

According to a news report, the video surveillance app links to a social media network, allowing investigators to send push notifications to users to request footage, and also to send residents police alerts and other bulletins.

Participation is voluntary, and the technology operates as an intermediary to keep a user anonymous while transmitting the requested footage that is limited to a specific location and time period to police, notes the report. 

Additionally, the partnership between the video surveillance solution and police agencies across the country, including 400 local law enforcement agencies who utilize the technology, has inspired countless objections from civil-liberties groups, who believe the partnership interferes with citizens' privacy, says the report.