FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — Speeding complaints are the number one call the Fairview Park Police Department receives.
"Every street has a speeding problem," Chief Paul Shepard said. "Or, that's at least the perception of the residents."
The Fairview Park Police Department investigates every call, but that takes time. Time the department doesn't always have.
That's why the Fairview Park Police Department is now one of several Northeast Ohio police departments investing in Urban SDK technology to track down speeding cars.
"We found this tool that gave us an indication of where our problems are, what time our problems are occurring, and for us to better allocate our resources," Sherpard said.
Using data gathered from cell phones, GPS systems and car insurance trackers, the department can hone in on each of the over 100 streets it patrols to determine whether and when speeding is occurring.
Then, a patrol officer can be placed at the right spot and at the right time.
It should be noted that all information transmitted through the Urban SDK is anonymous. License plates and other car identifiers cannot be seen through the system.
With Fairview Park's growing success with the program since the fall, other police departments have followed suit. Middleburg Heights tells News 5's Caitlin Hunt that the police department is now beginning training on the system.
Olmsted Falls' police department is doing the same.
"We really think it's a safety issue, especially during the school hours, especially during the summer with kids playing out in the street," Olmsted Falls Mayor Chad Gluss said of the speeding. "It's really going to help us identify those issues."
Shepard said the AI technology won't be replacing the men and women who patrol the streets anytime soon.
"We like it a lot, but it is a tool," he said. "If it keeps Fairview Park safer and the motoring public safer and the residents safer, then we are all for it."
