Police in Dayton, Trotwood, Miamisburg, West Carrollton and with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office are trying out Fusus technology through a $250,000 pilot program paid for by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Fusus gives law enforcement the ability to view live and recorded video from security cameras that are owned by private businesses, individuals, organizations and property owners.
The Attorney General’s Office supports local law enforcement by providing necessary tools and training so officers are better equipped in the field, said Bethany McCorkle, communications director for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
“Recognizing crime doesn’t stop at city or county lines, this pilot provides a multi-jurisdictional approach to sharing information,” she said.
Fusus says it “removes barriers created by disparate camera systems by fusing all private and public video sources into a single platform.”
Participation in the Fusus system is voluntary, and camera owners can give police restricted or unrestricted access to their videos and feeds.
People also can choose to register their cameras with police but not provide video access.
Registration tells police where private security cameras are located, in case a nearby incident occurs and they want to request video. The registry also contains contact info to request video footage.
Fusus technology is controversial. Opponents have said they fear police can use video feeds to wrongfully surveil people or groups.
Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation claim that the technology can lead to over-policing and allows police to spy on constitutionally protected activities, like protests.
Dayton program
The Dayton City Commission approved using the Fusus technology in February by a vote of 3 to 2 after hours of discussion.
Some critics at the time said the police department needs strong policies in place to ensure cameras and data are not misused and citizens’ privacy is protected. Under city ordinance, police in Dayton have to take certain steps before adopting any new surveillance technologies.
Dayton’s Fusus system is fully operational. City-owned security cameras have been hooked up to the system, and some private businesses also are participating in the program, the police department said in a statement to this newspaper.
The city has security cameras at its facilities and it also has cameras on some streets in downtown. Private businesses that are participating in the pilot are providing police with varying levels of access to their video, police said.
The Dayton Police Department has not answered some of the Dayton Daily News’ questions about how many cameras are linked to the system and what businesses are participating.
The Dayton Police Department told this newspaper that Fusus is a “helpful tool” that has been utilized a couple of times, including during a search for 7-year-old Lucas Rosales, who went missing from Eastwood MetroPark on April 28. His body was recovered 18 days later.
Police say the technology simply makes it easier for officers to access and view video from private cameras that they often request and receive anyway. They say the system just streamlines the process.
Back in late April, DPD police information specialist James Rider said Dayton’s Fusus platform was not fully operational but there were seven locations committed to participating in the system that were in the process of getting set up.
He said several other places were still deciding whether to participate.
The police department’s Flock license plate reader cameras were connected to the system, and the system was linked to the regional dispatch center, Rider said.
Assessment
The Attorney General’s Fusus pilot program was supposed to run through the end of this month, but it was extended until July 30 to give police agencies more time to test and evaluate the technology.
The Dayton Police Department said the agency will use a “multitude of factors” to evaluate the technology, including its cost.
Other participating police agencies said they are withholding judgment and comment until the pilot program concludes.
Christine Bevins, media director with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, said the pilot program remains in the testing and evaluation stage.
But earlier this year she said the sheriff’s office had about 11 Fusus core devices set up in the three districts that it serves, mainly in government buildings.
Fusus uses modem-like devices called cores to give police access to live streaming video feeds.
Trotwood police Chief Erik Wilson said his police officers have access to the video feeds of three privately owned businesses that are connected to the Fusus system. He declined to identify the businesses.
Wilson said technology has helped improve public safety in Trotwood. For example, he said, photo enforcement cameras deterred speeding and helped catch speeding motorists, and he credited license plate readers with helping police identify and recover many stolen vehicles.
“We can’t be everywhere — we have 30 square miles,” he said. “We definitely can use the help of technology.”
Wilson said he is open to the idea of Trotwood police continuing to use Fusus when the pilot ends, but the decision will be made after studying the system’s effectiveness and cost.
Wilson said the Attorney General selected the five local law enforcement agencies to participate in the pilot program in part because they already work together closely, have good relationships and share information.
About the Author