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Akron police discuss new tech to find missing persons
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 31, 2023
The family of a missing 73-year-old woman with possible dementia files a report with their local police department. The officers enter the information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
The woman had attended a dog show in Macungie, Pennsylvania, but never made it back to her home in Illinois.
She ends up driving into Akron and passes one of the police department’s recently installed Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader cameras. Because the cameras are designed to relay information to the NCIC, an alert is sent out to police, who stop the vehicle less than two miles after it passes the camera.
The officers ask if the woman is feeling okay and she explains that she’s disoriented. Police quickly ascertain that she’s the missing person, call her family and take her to a safe location until her brother arrives.
The real-life incident, which took place last October, is one of the many success stories Akron police are attributing to the Flock Safety cameras which are now operational in various areas around the city.
Akron Deputy Police Chief Michael J. Caprez said the cameras are helping the department to make the most efficient use of its officers and staff.
“With budgets being strained and municipalities experiencing challenges in hiring new officers, our department has been exploring ways to keep the public safe with fewer officers,” said Caprez. “These cameras and the use of other technologies are proving to be a good option.”
As Flock Safety spokesperson Holly Beilin explains, the cameras do not record video.
“They’re motion activated so when a car drives by the license plate is read and a still image is taken.
“The software in the camera compares the picture of the license plates to various state and national crime databases, alerting police in the area when the vehicle is associated with a missing person or an offender with an outstanding warrant,” said Beilin.
“Police get an alert on their cell phones, laptops or their MDTs (mobile data terminals) in their patrol cars.”
“Some people have been interested to know whether pedestrian foot traffic would trigger a picture being taken and it would not,” said Caprez.
Over 120 law enforcement agencies in Ohio have installed the cameras and they are also being deployed in numerous communities outside the state.
Each camera costs $2,500 per year to lease, which includes any necessary maintenance.
“We work with approximately 2,000 law enforcement agencies in the country to solve hundreds of crimes each day,” said Beilin. “We expect more and more law enforcement agencies to use this technology as its effectiveness becomes clear.”
In Akron, the installation of the first camera was completed on Sept. 2, 2022. Since then more than 100 have been set up with the remaining ones expected to be in place by the end of April.
The total upfront cost was $362,500 with a recurring annual expense of $312,500.
The cameras have been strategically located in parts of the city where the largest number of violent crimes occur.
“We used crime mapping and data analysis to determine where they would be most effective,” said Caprez. “One thing we do know is that about 70% of crime that occurs involves the use of a motor vehicle.
“Once we determined where the technology would have the greatest impact, we placed the cameras at the ingress and egress points.”
While police are not releasing details about the specific location of the cameras, Caprez said the department is seeing a variety of positive outcomes related to their use.
In fact, just days after the missing woman was discovered, the cameras played a key role in the apprehension of two teenagers wanted in connection with an armed carjacking in Barberton, just south of Akron.
The suspects drove the vehicle into Akron inadvertently passing one of the cameras which triggered an alert. Akron police caught up with the individuals but they refused to stop. After a chase they crashed near Kent State University and were arrested.
In addition to assisting law enforcement in locating missing persons and making arrests, Caprez said the cameras are proving to be an investigative tool, particularly with regard to catalytic converter thefts.
“Catalytic converter thefts are a huge national problem and we’re hoping to gather information on repeat offenders who sell them at scrap yards,” he said. “If we can identify the individuals associated with these types of crimes we might be able to determine whether they are involved in a large-scale criminal enterprise.”
Caprez said officers are hopeful the cameras will also help to reduce the number of deadly force encounters between police and suspects.
“Because the cameras are being used in communities nationwide, vehicles that are associated with a particular suspect are flagged by the National Crime Information Center,” he said. “So if we’ve had a homicide occur in Akron and that car leaves our area and enters Atlanta, Georgia for instance, where they also have cameras, police will get an alert that an individual wanted for homicide may be in their area.
“Police can then take extra precautions when approaching the vehicle that can hopefully avoid a deadly force encounter,” said Caprez. “This information can help keep officers, citizens and the suspect safe.”
As juries and citizens demand to have more objective evidence, Caprez said the photos taken by these cameras will likely play a key role in the ability of law enforcement to provide tangible proof and context for those deciding guilt or innocence.
“The cameras not only show the license plate but they include the date, time of day and the direction the vehicle is traveling,” said Caprez. “Police are able to use the information to determine how long it took to get from one camera to another.”
While Akron police officers are optimistic about the potential value of these cameras, the department does plan to evaluate their effectiveness after a full year’s use.
“Based on the results, we will decide whether to keep the numbers the same, cut back or add more cameras in certain locations,” said Caprez.