Interim Police Chief outlines data-driven strategy, camera registry and tech upgrades to make Claremont "safest city"

Interim Police Chief John Grasick told the City of Clermont City Council on April 8 that the department is pursuing a data-driven, community-engaged strategy to reduce crime and improve public trust as it works to recruit officers and expand capabilities.

Grasick opened with the department’s mission and summarized public safety ratings drawn from open-source sites: ovogo.com and crimegrade.org. He said Claremont receives A and A+ ratings on several measures and noted that per-capita measures influence some scores. He linked future improvements to increased manpower and community partnerships.

Chief Grasick described planned programs and technology investments: annual clergy roundtables, expanded youth mentorship and “cookies with rookies” community events, an advanced license‑plate reader program that has already contributed to arrests and recoveries, and investment in synthetic training tools including a virtual reality simulator. He said an indoor drone and a robotics capability were identified as gaps during the Cottonwood incident and that the department is seeking grants to acquire such gear.

Grasick announced FUSIS, a software integration platform coming online within 30–60 days that can unify computer-aided dispatch, camera locations and other systems under one interface. He described two voluntary, permission-based camera uses: a camera registry where residents note they have cameras and receive automatic email requests to review footage if a nearby incident occurs; and camera integration that would allow businesses to permit varying levels of access (24/7 or limited hours) to live feeds. Grasick stressed registry participation is voluntary, permissions-based and that residential integration is not recommended.

Council members asked about mentoring partnerships, youth programs and the specific equipment gaps identified during Cottonwood. Grasick confirmed the indoor drone and a robot would have been useful and said he will provide cost estimates. Finance and personnel implications of the technology requests were not finalized in the presentation; Grasick and staff directed councilmembers to contact him or Captain McMaster for 1-on-1 briefings.

The chief tied recruitment successes in part to the pending collective bargaining agreement; he reported a spike in applications after pay increase plans became public.

Quotes (selection) "The police are the community and the community is the police," Interim Police Chief John Grasick said, summarizing outreach goals and a plan to expand retail and hotel partnerships, clergy engagement, and youth mentorships. "FUSIS will allow all our personnel to view their different software programs under one simple screen," Grasick said, describing the platform’s integration function.

Ending Council expressed support for the department’s community-focused approach while asking for cost estimates and follow-up on technology needs. Staff said FUSIS information and camera-registry sign-up details are available at www.keepclaremontsafe.org.