Ocala Police Department Chief Greg Graham was reluctant to answer questions about a couple of devices he says will help catch thieves and monitor activity in certain parts of the city.
The discussion, which took place during the Ocala City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 15, was over a budget resolution to appropriate grant funds received from the Department of Justice to support the data collection and technology initiative
In September, the Ocala Police Department was awarded $31,470 in grant funds to be used to purchase cash trackers and a pole camera to support detectives. The grant was warded by the Department of Justice as part of the Office of Justice Programs.
“So what are we capturing and what are we surveying?” asked District 5 representative Justin Grabelle.
Graham, who indicated that he would have preferred to speak about the details of the program off the record, was prompted by Grabelle’s insistence that the information be publicized.
“At some point the public has the right to know what we’re doing,” said Grabelle.
Graham went on to explain how the cash trackers work and the impact that they previously have had on catching thieves in the act.
“Cash trackers are little GPS trackers that we put in cash. They can be used at stores, so when they get robbed, they take the cash, we track them. That’s what we’re capturing,” explained Graham.
He went on to further explain that the pole cameras are used in areas to monitor activity.
“The pole cameras we put up on suspect locations, drug houses, so that we can monitor activity in a non-Constitutionally protected area,” explained Graham.
Graham indicated that when a rash of robberies struck dollar stores across Ocala a couple years ago, the cash trackers were a big help to the department.
“A year and a half ago, two years ago, we had a rash of robberies at the Dollar Generals and Family Dollars. We installed these [cash trackers] and we made an arrest within 15 minutes, maybe even less than that, on every one that got robbed,” said Graham.
Graham suggested that previously, because media outlets had not been made aware of these devices, the suspects likely had no idea that these devices existed.
“They know now,” said Mayor Kent Guinn.
According to the department, the equipment will allow officers to conduct proactive operations, such as stakeouts and surveillance, without having to physically deploy officers.