Flock Group Inc. will provide the equipment and maintain it through a five-year agreement not to exceed $531,500, according to city documents.
The money will come out of the city's portion of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The matter garnered support from each of the Council members but one, Ward 2 Councilwoman Victoria Kempton.
Kempton said she'd prefer to know more about the system before she would support it.
Additionally, Kempton pointed out at the meeting that the Flock Group has only been in business since 2017, and she had concerns about Lorain's database getting compromised.
"It's not a matter of if you'll get hacked," she said. "It's a matter of when you'll get hacked."
Lorain police Chief Jim McCann told Kempton he hasn't heard of any type of problems such as hacking the system.
Throughout the state, 134 communities including Cleveland, Akron, Amherst and Elyria are using, or in the process, of implementing the system which connects law enforcement agencies nationwide, McCann told Council.
"Criminals don't just stay in Lorain; they go everywhere," McCann said.
The system primarily is used to locate stolen cars and vehicles known to law enforcement, he said.
Initially, the Police Department requested funding for 10 officers' salaries, but was amended to fund six officers with the additional funds going toward the vehicle recognition equipment which includes "necessary poles, cameras, software, and, or other equipment that will provide the City with vehicle recognition technologies; and license plate reader system," the documents stated.
The contract includes 40 readers which the company's website touts as, "the first camera that sees like a detective."
"It's a wonderful deterrent," said Councilwoman-at Large Mary Springowski.
The ordinance was passed as an emergency with the dissenting vote from Kempton.
The matter will have to go before the city's Board of Control before it's officially approved.
McCann told Council time is of essence to finalize the deal.
"If it goes to committee, it just can't be there long or go there to die," McCann said.
Flock Safety Solutions' website stated, "Eighty-two percent of non-violent crime goes unsolved — not because police aren't doing their job, but because they lack actionable evidence. Law enforcement agencies know that a license plate is key to solving most crimes because it can lead them to the name and address of the perpetrator."
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