The City of Powell will hold two meetings to present information on Flock safety camera technology to the public. Flock is a license plate reader system that alerts police to a stolen car or a car registered to a wanted person.
As of now, there are eight Flock cameras in Powell and soon there will be 10.
The City began using the new cameras earlier this summer and they’ve already proven to be helpful in solving crime.
City of Powell Chief of Police Ron Sallows said the goal of the meetings is to answer any questions the public may have and address potential concerns.
“Flock cameras are a powerful tool for law enforcement,” said Sallows. “They multiply our ability to quickly gather information producing leads for investigations and alerting patrol to potential crimes in progress.”
The Automated License Plate Readers monitor coverage areas 24/7, providing detailed information about vehicles that pass by, such as the make, model, color, decals, bumper stickers and more to create the company’s trademark “Vehicle Fingerprint.” These “fingerprints” are compiled in a cloud-based platform, along with the fingerprints developed from cameras, both private and public, installed throughout the country, to create a searchable database that police departments can access at any time. Departments can search vehicles by these characteristics to connect information provided at a crime scene to a specific vehicle.
The system does not record identifiable images of people or use facial recognition technology or capture vehicle speeds. Instead, it focuses on providing objective evidence to aid in criminal investigations.
Flock cameras are not new to Central Ohio. Neighboring cities including Bexley, Columbus, Dublin, Gahanna, Grove City, Hilliard, New Albany, Plain City, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington are already using them to fight crime.
The cameras are located at major entry points to the city.
Community feedback presentations will be held at the Powell Police Department, 47 Hall Street, on the following dates and times:
10 a.m. Saturday, September 28, 2024
6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 3, 2024
Attendees can RSVP for the presentations.