Lancaster County deputy outlines increased call volume and technology plan for Hickman

Deputy Chief Deputy Ben Hochin of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office briefed the Hickman City Council on mid-year call data, saying the town's deputy handled 130 calls over the last 12 months while other deputies handled 383. He warned the council that calls now take longer on average and that a rise in traffic incidents, disturbances, medicals and assaults is driving the increased time on scene.

Hochin described technology the county is deploying to help: a county "Fusion" real-time crime center staffed by analysts; roughly eight movable license-plate readers and two trailer-mounted readers that can be relocated; and partnerships to access business camera feeds when responding to active calls. "We're just looking for vehicles that are marked," Hochin said, noting the technology returns a hit only when a plate matches an active target. He also discussed future use of drones and said the programs are expensive and will require clear public transparency measures. Council members asked about camera types and counts; Hochin said the county currently has two trailer units and six fixed readers on the interstate.