On April 5, 2021, Oakwood City Council approved and adopted the City’s recently revised Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). On June 8, 2021, the City Manager, Department Heads, and key support personnel participated in a mock tabletop exercise focused on the City’s response to a disaster using the updated EOP as a response guideline.

This summer, the Oakwood Public Safety Department implemented the “Good Choice Ticket” program. The program is designed to recognize Oakwood’s youth for making good choices such as using a crosswalk, wearing a bicycle helmet, or looking both ways before crossing the street. The program has been very well received by the community. This will be a successful program for years to come.

The Oakwood Public Safety Department is asking residents and local businesses to register their security cameras with the department to help provide the department with information that could potentially solve a crime. The security camera registration form is available on the City website at www.oakwoodohio.gov. Surveillance video has proven to be beneficial in helping to solve crimes.

In 2021, the Oakwood Public Safety Department implemented a series of trainings focusing on mental health in an effort to equip every officer with the necessary skills to safely and effectively do their job. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, statistics show that approximately 20% (51.5 million) of U.S. adults experienced a mental health condition in 2019, and 10% of all law enforcement calls for service involve a person with a mental illness. These trainings include: Talk Saves Lives; Mental Health First Aid; 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training Certification; De-escalation Training; Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST); and Crisis Intervention Companion Training.

The Oakwood Public Safety Department will host its fourth Citizens Police Academy (CPA) in September 2021. The 2021 CPA is a 10-week program that meets for two hours one night per week covering the following topics: Safety Department Introduction / Orientation; Patrol Operations; Traffic Enforcement; Use of Force; Active Shooter Training; Evidence Collection and Processing; and Fire Prevention / Education. The CPA is free of charge and is open to any Oakwood resident or individual working within the city of Oakwood. Chief Hill shared that the September program is already full. The department may look into offering a program early next year.

Mrs. Hilton asked if security cameras have to be registered in order to use the recordings.

Chief Hill answered no, and explained that the registrations help the Public Safety Department identify where cameras may be available.

Mrs. Hilton asked what percentage of Oakwood properties have security cameras.

Chief Hill said that he would not be surprised if 10-15% of the Oakwood residential properties have some form of security cameras or recording devices.

Mr. Stephens asked if the Public Safety Department has been happy with the in-car and body camera technology.

Chief Hill shared that things are going very well and the department is happy with the cameras.

Vice Mayor Byington asked how the cameras are used by the department.

Chief Hill explained that the cameras are used for day-to-day official dispatched or officer-initiated interactions. 100% of the recordings are saved and stored in specific categories.

Mayor Duncan asked about the cost for data storage.

Chief Hill shared that the department is using an onsite server to store the camera recordings. The technology was purchased up front and should not need to be replaced for several years.

Mayor Duncan asked how long the cameras are expected to last.

Chief Hill stated that the average life of the cameras is about seven years. The cameras may still function after seven years, but the technology continues to evolve. Chief Hill also noted that the cameras have an excellent “no fault” warranty in case they are damaged in any way.