Police want to speak with four women. CBC has obscured their faces to protect their privacy. (HRP)

Police in Halifax say they've identified two of the four women who appear to have been secretly photographed in their homes.

The women told investigators that the images were taken in the city's south end, and they no longer live in the area, said Const. Brian Palmeter, spokesman for Halifax Regional Police.

"We do believe that it happened last year possibly, but we'll get more specifics when we interview them," he said Friday.

Police have yet to confirm exactly when and where the images were taken, or whether the person who took them shot basement apartments or climbed balconies.

"But we do believe in these two cases that the pictures were taken without their consent," Palmeter said.

The two women contacted police Thursday evening after police released four images seized during an investigation.

They did not give details about that investigation. They said they only wanted to talk to the women to determine the circumstances in which the photos were taken.

Palmeter confirmed Friday that investigators are looking for links to the so-called sleepwatcher, an intruder who has invaded the homes of women in the city's south end in recent years.

"We can't rule out that this may be connected to the break-and-enters that have been happened in the south end, but we haven't been able to confirm it yet either," he said.

Palmeter won't say whether the four images are stills taken from video.

The images are of four different women. None of them seem to know they're being photographed.

One photo of a young woman wearing a team jersey and panties appears to have been taken through a screen. The others show the women's faces and bare shoulders as they read or type on a laptop.

Releasing the photos was an unusual move for police. Investigators said it was a matter of public safety.

"We felt it was prudent to identify these women and release these photos to the public ... so we could make sure that they were not in any danger," Palmeter said. "We did not do it to embarrass them or upset them."

Police said other women might have been at risk of similar spying.

Investigators were still looking for the other two women on Friday.

"We've received several other calls that our investigators are currently following up on where citizens believe they know who are in the other images. But this remains to be confirmed at this point," said Staff Sgt. Lindsay Hernden.