Elyria approves expansion of live police camera capacity

ELYRIA — The Elyria Police Department will add about 100 cameras to its streaming surveillance system across the city, with the capacity to add more from private residents who opt in to share their footage. City Council voted unanimously to approve an addition to the department's contract with Axon Enterprise to add the cameras through its Fusus system at the cost of $17,000 per year on top of an existing $5.4 million, 10-year contract. Axon provides Elyria police with software and data storage for its dashboard and body-worn cameras, along with other video and evidence services. EPD Capt. Bill Lantz said that the Fusus system is a program which allows police to view live or recorded footage from a variety of city-owned cameras, including security and traffic cameras, as well as other private streams in one place. The department currently has 150 city-owned cameras in its Fusus system, and the new contract will add about 100 more existing public cameras onto the system, as well as adding the capacity for private residences or businesses to voluntarily share their camera footage on the system. Elyria Police Capt. Michael Groomes spoke to Council on Monday, saying that the existing Fusus cameras had already been crucial in solving crimes throughout the city. He told Council that the hit-and-run on Reaser Pointe Crossing last month which left a 22-year-old seriously injured and the robbery of Kay Jewelers in October were both solved thanks to footage recorded onto Fusus. "These were very high profile cases, violent crimes, crimes involving serious injury," Groomes said Monday. "They (the cameras) have helped us, so any expansion of 100 cameras would be that much more beneficial to the city." Safety Service Director Chris Pyanowski said that because the offer from Axon to add the Fusus capacity had come so late in the year, it was being brought straight to Council without going through committee so that it could be implemented before January. Councilman Phil Tollett, D-at Large, said that he felt the expanded camera system would improve safety for residents and officers, so was in favor of voting on it without the benefit of a committee recommendation and made a motion to do so. Council voted unanimously to pass the motion. "The Fusus upgrade will continue to increase our ability to solve and reduce violent crime throughout the city by having real time access to this technology," Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said via text message on Monday. "We are already down in homicide and violent crime across the board. Our residents should feel safer knowing that we have instant access to cameras to enhance their safety and be more effective and efficient." Welsh added that he believed EPD was among the first law enforcement agencies in the county to utilize Fusus or camera systems like it. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.