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Lima police report cites new leadership, hires, cameras and a nascent drone program
Summary
Major Brown told Lima City Council the department added command staff and 11 officers in 2024, expanded downtown cameras and launched a drone program governed by a department policy meant to protect constitutional rights.
Major Brown, a major with the Lima Police Department, told the Lima City Council at its meeting that the department experienced personnel and technology changes in 2024 that officials say have strengthened patrol and investigative services.
Brown said the department added a new chief, promoted two majors — placing Major Leland over patrol services and Major Holman over investigative services — and hired 11 new officers. "Being able to pull that off has been...an astronomical boost to the police department," Brown said. He said officers responded to 34,162 calls for service last year.
Brown described upgrades in technology that officials attribute to improved investigations. "The downtown cameras have been a great improvement," Brown said, adding the system had been "instrumental in solving multiple crimes in the community." He also described a drone program in its early stages and said the department has a written policy intended to ensure Fourth Amendment protections are respected: "We have a policy regarding how we're going to use the drones, and we have made sure that we are following all Fourth Amendment rights in the constitution...we are documenting when we're using those drones, how we're using them, and why we're using them," Brown said.
Council members asked questions and offered praise during the report. Councilor Glenn asked, "What steps are we taking in recruiting minority police officers?" Brown said the department has a recruitment and retention team that attends job fairs and uses social media to attract applicants from varied backgrounds.
Councilor Jordan voiced concern about privacy and civil liberties, saying, "I have concerns about the drone program and making sure that it's not being used in ways that are violating people's rights...What kind of guidelines are in place, or are they still being developed?" Brown answered that policy and documentation are in place and that the department researched constitutional limits.
Several councilors and members of the public praised officers' community engagement at recent events. Councilor Jones noted officers attended a community Easter event and interacted positively with children; Brown and the council emphasized relationship-building as a department priority.
The presentation did not include dollar amounts or detailed operational metrics for the drone program, and no formal council action followed the report.
