TIPP CITY — An automated license plate reader system will soon be actively used to assist a police department in Miami County starting in February.
Tipp City will be implementing the Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader System (ALPR) to assist the police department in identifying vehicles to solve crimes.
The still imaging system will only capture images of vehicles and license plates. According to a Tipp City spokesperson, it will not be used for facial recognition, nor can it capture personally identifiable information.
Unlike speed monitoring systems, an ALPR system cannot be used for traffic enforcement, nor can it be used to enforce Ohio traffic laws.
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Tipp City Police became interested in using the tool after neighboring departments in Montgomery County began using it.
“Vandalia and Sidney are the two surrounding agencies with Flock Safety which left a void in our area to combat crime. Based on the success of many neighboring agencies with the system, our department approached Flock,” said Greg Adkins, Tipp City Police Department Chief of Police.
With the approval from Miami Valley Regional Risk Management, Tipp City signed a two-year agreement for an eight-camera system. The cost of the system for the first year will be $22,800, and the second year will be $20,000, according to the spokesperson. Tipp City Council approved funding for the system on December 19, 2022, for the 2023 operating budget.
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According to the spokesperson, taxpayer money will not be used to pay for the system. The ALPR system will be paid for with money seized by the Department of Justice.
“These dollars can only be spent on equipment and are not allowed to be paid toward personnel costs. The department will review the program’s effectiveness before entering into another contract,” said Adkins
The cameras will be placed in the following locations:
- (NB) CR 25A north of W. Main St.
- (SB) CR 25A south of W. Main St.
- (SB) CR 25A south of W. Kessler Cowlesville Rd.
- (SB) CR 25A at the intersection of Tipp Cowlesville Rd.
- (WB) W. Main St. at 68 MM Exit I75
- (EB) W. Main St. at 68 MM Exit I75
- (WB) E. Main St. near 4000 block east side of town
- (NB) Weller Dr. at the intersection of Harmony Dr.
“The department has worked with Flock Safety systems to determine the location. Flock recommended twelve cameras to cover vital entry points of the city. The department budgeted for eight cameras. Working with Flock Safety’s staff and our staff to protect some of our higher crime areas, the locations for the eight cameras were identified, said Adkins.
According to the FBI’s 2020 Crime Report, there has been significant growth in violent crimes by 30%.
“Tipp City is no exception to the increase in crimes. Technology multiplies our force and assists patrol officers with notifications of inbound traffic vehicles that may be connected to a stolen car, a missing or abducted child, and violent felony warrants. Flock Safety is real-time proactive alerts sent to the patrol officer’s car to respond quicker to the area. Flock Safety cameras also deter criminals who commit crimes in our city,” said Adkins.
Once an image of a vehicle is captured using this system, the image will be entered into a national database to check alerts for amber alerts, silver alerts, firearm crimes, warrants, and organized crimes.
“Per department policy, searches are only granted with proper permissions and relationships to an active case. Officer’s will receive real-time alerts but are limited in accessing captured information without approval for the search. Flock Safety maintains a public transparency portal for each camera and the departments with which the cameras are shared. The police department operated ALPR’s fixed to patrol cars several years ago under a State of Ohio grant. Flock Safety is fixed ALPR’s and not mobile as in the previous system. ALPR systems are not new to Tipp City,” said Adkins.
The invasion of privacy is not protected on public roadways. When ALPR’s are engaged ethically and objectively, they “are an effective tool for law enforcement, cutting down on time required for investigations and acting as a force multiplier,” said Adkins.
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A 70% reduction in crimes has been reported by communities currently using this same system. In the Miami Valley, this system has proven beneficial. It has aided in capturing violent criminals and assisted with amber alerts.
Within Tipp City itself, this system aided in locating a silver alert victim.
“You cannot put a value on solving one of these cases. Technology is ever-changing quickly, and law enforcement must be able to stay abreast of changes to provide a more efficient service to the community,” said Adkins.
The vendor of the system, Flock Safety, will maintain the information storage, repair equipment as needed, and maintain ownership of the devices.