A new crime-fighting tool is coming to Rossford.
At its most recent meeting, city council approved spending $65,700 for 18 license plate reader cameras that will be installed at the city entrances. The two-year contract with Flock Group Inc. in Atlanta also has a charge of $58,000 for 2024.
The higher first-year cost includes the installation of cameras, Police Chief Todd Kitzler said.
Councilman Christopher Heban, who heads the finance committee, said he was impressed with the capabilities.
“Once we’re in the system, we have access to all of the surrounding communities’ cameras, as well,” Mr. Heban said. “I think it’s awesome.”
“It’s definitely a deterrent,” Mayor Neil MacKinnon III said. “If somebody who’s a criminal or has a warrant, and you know that Rossford has this, you’re not going to drive into the community.”
After the Sept. 11 meeting, Chief Kitzler said that Toledo and Perrysburg have the Flock camera system. Bowling Green has cameras, but they are not through Flock, he said.
“The whole northern area of Ohio is just blanketed,” Chief Kitzler said.
He said that the cameras will have two main uses.
“We can create our own hot list,” Chief Kitzler said.
For example, if a domestic violence victim has a temporary protection order in place, that information can be put into the license plate reader, he said.
“If was going to come into the city, our officers would know ... if he’s in that vehicle,” Chief Kitzler said.
The second use of the cameras is investigative, he said.
If a crime suspect is driving a certain type of vehicle, that brand and the color could be inputted.
“We could go into that system and type in ‘pickup truck’ and ‘black’ and it’s going to spit out every black pickup truck that any of our cameras hit,” Chief Kitzler said.
The cameras, which cost $3,000 each, are solar powered.
They will be installed at Buck Road and State Routes 65 and 795, Chief Kitzler said.
In a follow-up interview, Mr. MacKinnon said he did not have concerns about privacy.
“Look, if you don’t have a warrant, you don’t have anything to worry about,” he said. “And if you don’t commit any crimes, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
In other police business on Sept. 11, council approved purchasing a vehicle from Reineke Ford, Findlay, for $51,573.
Chief Kitzler said that three police vehicles were ordered in 2022 and they received one but didn’t get it until 2023.
He said another one was ordered this year, but they have not received it yet.
The ordinance passed as an emergency with all in favor.
First Published September 17, 2023, 5:11 p.m.
