Community Safety

🔍 A model worth matching — Wilton, CT's Flock Safety Transparency Portal publishes exactly how its cameras are governed: no facial recognition, no identifying individuals, and every access logged and audited. It's a real example of what "how it's used going forward" can look like once residents weigh in.

Lorain already uses Flock Safety cameras across the city to help officers solve cases faster. This isn't a proposal, it's already happening. We want your input on how it's used going forward.

Why we use them
Investigations that used to take days, chasing leads, canvassing security footage, checking plates by hand, can now take minutes. Flock cameras give Lorain PD a faster way to solve the crimes residents care about most: stolen vehicles, hit-and-runs, and missing persons cases, without adding officers or pulling patrols off the street.

What they are
Fixed cameras at key points across the city that capture license plates and basic vehicle details (color, make, visible features) as cars pass. [Confirm with LPD: do they use facial recognition or identify drivers? If not, state that plainly here, it's a major trust point.]

How they're used
Every plate captured is automatically checked against active alert lists, stolen vehicles, warrants, Amber and Silver Alerts. A match notifies the nearest officer in real time. No match means no human review of that image. [Confirm with LPD: how long is footage kept before deletion, who can access it, and is it ever shared outside Lorain PD?]

The goal
Faster, safer outcomes with the resources we already have, and a clear public record of how the technology is governed so residents don't have to take it on faith. That's also why this page exists: to hear from you on how it's used going forward.

Public safety is a shared responsibility. Here's how the Lorain Police Department is working with the community, and how you can be part of it.