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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — MAY 27, 2025 5 Councilmember Monson said in 2024 Arden Hills had the second lowest number of "Crime A" calls. There was a 46% drop in 2022 in "Crime A" calls. There was a 25% drop in 2023. The calls are reducing and we're second lowest. Her concern is that this is the start of needing more FTEs. She thinks the cameras will artificially drive up calls. She thinks this could create an artificial safety issue because they can cast a wider net. She said the City runs a tight budget. The fire department is having major growth right now. She is not saying this will happen, but she is worried that it could. Undersheriff Ramacher said our county is a very safe place to live compared to the other side of the river. Ramsey County has the smallest geographic footprint of all the counties. It's also the most densely populated. There is a collective policing model on this side of the river that is one of the big reasons why crime is lower. RCSO is the fifth largest policing agency in the State of Minnesota. St. Paul is the second largest and the State Patrol is the third and they are headquartered in St. Paul. The BCA and the DNR have headquarters in Ramsey County. Our response times and the way they work collectively makes this area a place where criminals don't want to come. Commander Hankee said any stops that result from the Flock LPR are crimes that have already occurred. If they're coming into Arden Hills and we get an alert, RCSO is able to stop that vehicle before they are able to start prowling through vehicles. It is are preventing crime. Mayor Grant clarified that an alert will go to the officer's computer or phone but it doesn't go through dispatch. That's not a dispatch event, in terms of the formula. Councilmember Monson understands that if someone is pulled over on 96, not going through our neighborhoods, it will be recorded. It will be somewhere in the data. Councilmember Weber asked if St. Paul pays RCSO for the cameras in their City. When the program is expanded to non -contract cities, will they have to pay? Undersheriff Ramacher he said Sheriff Fletcher is encouraging those cities to get into the LPR. He doesn't know his philosophy on who will pay. Councilmember Weber said all the places he wants to place cameras is Ramsey County right-of- way. RCSO could go put them up today, at their own cost. He said the only thing he is asking of Arden Hills is to pay for the cameras. Undersheriff Ramacher said he is asking for buy -in because he thinks it's important for the transparency. This has had some controversy and having the elected officials get behind it is important. It's not just about the money. It's about making the public comfortable with the concept. He has been in front of the other contract cities over the past couple of weeks. There have been very minimal discussions. There is a comfort level with the concept. It is important to him that Arden Hills has a comfort level, as well. This is a partnership. This city and its residents are valued. Councilmember Weber asked if RCSO is asking us to agree to the model that has been laid out. He wonders if we are locked in through 2030