License plate readers could be expanded in Medina County, as the sheriff’s department has adopted an unusual strategy of encouraging townships where the sheriff patrols to pay the cost of adding cameras.
Township trustees in Granger, Westfield, Sharon and Litchfield are considering a $3,000 per year expense for each Flock camera, which capture and store a photo of every vehicle’s license plate as it passes, according to Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice.
“If we all work together to enhance this network, it’s a success for all of us,” Grice said. “Not one township, but all of Medina County as a whole.”
Westfield Township Trustees have put off the decision, citing a tight budget and two new trustees taking office in January.
One of the departing trustees, Michael Schmidt, said the best intersection for license plate readers, where interstates 71 and 76 meet State Route 224, is the site of a truck stop and major roads controlled by the state and federal governments mostly used by non-residents.
“It’s one of the busiest intersections in the state,” Schmidt said. “[Flock] sounds like it’s a great program but we’re struggling to pay our bills as it is.”
There’s already one camera at that intersection, according to Schmidt, and three more would be needed for full coverage.
Townships are being asked to pay $3,000 a year per camera, with the $750 installation fee waived, for a minimum of three years. The cameras would be a part of the sheriff’s department’s contract with Flock.
“I would have a hard time justifying $9,000 to our constituents to have those cameras on roads we don’t control,” Schmidt said.
Grice said he can understand those concerns and the additional cameras are optional. The sheriff’s department already has 19 license plate readers from Flock spread throughout the county, paid for with a state grant.
“The goal is, especially when you're looking at the townships, to work with the trustees to see highly traveled areas that are used as through streets or are heavily traveled to go township to township,” said Grice.
Flock Safety has expanded to more than 6,000 communities nationwide, according to the company’s website, in the last few years, and civil rights groups have raised concerns about the powerful surveillance network it’s building.
Cleveland is considering expanding its contract with Flock to increase its network of license plate readers and add the company’s gunshot detection technology. Cleveland also used a state of Ohio grant for its initial contract with Flock in 2023.
One of the appealing features of Flock’s cameras, said Grice, is their widespread use. Law enforcement can locate vehicles as they travel between municipalities and counties in Ohio or across state lines as long as agencies are using the company’s technology.
“Crime doesn't stop at someone's jurisdictional line," Grice said. It's going to continue to travel into a neighboring township or neighboring city or a neighboring county."
