On the night of Sept. 20 two twelve-year-old girls disappeared after a softball practice in Rock Port, Missouri, leading to a twelve-hour search by local, state and federal law enforcement, and significant concern in communities across Northwest, Missouri.
The search ended about twelve hours later, when the girls were recovered, unharmed, in Evansville, Indiana. Authorities arrested Dustin Hill, 22, of Arizona. The investigation remains ongoing.
The city of Rock Port addressed the incident at their Sept. 17 meeting. Officials discussed plans to invest in AI-enabled surveillance cameras, known as Flock cameras. After the incident, officials credited the technology, which is put out by the company Flock Safety, with helping locate the suspect.
“We had the sheriff at the meeting and he discussed how those cameras were vital in getting those kids back,” Mayor J.R. Chaney said in an interview. “One Flock camera flagged [the kidnapper] in St. Joseph.” The sighting helped investigators.
Chaney said six Flock cameras will be installed at six locations in the city, near high-traffic roads. He said the cameras will be used exclusively by law enforcement in criminal investigations.
While the kidnapping made headlines across the region, there have been other disturbances in recent months, Chaney said.
“We’re an interstate town and we’ve had some incidents — cars stolen, and things like that,” he said. “We want to give law enforcement the best tools they can have.”