Hilliard Division of Police officers detained six Dayton suspects at a gas station after Dublin Police linked them to an attempted vehicle theft using Flock camera technology.

A Dublin homeowner on Wyandotte Woods Boulevard spotted two people trying to enter a vehicle in his driveway during the early morning of Oct. 2. He yelled at the suspects, who fled, and called Dublin Police, according to a Dublin city news release published Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Officers who arrived found the vehicle still running. They determined someone had created a key fob for it before fleeing. Using a description the resident provided, Dublin Police ran the information through Flock camera technology and identified a potential suspect vehicle.

Dublin Police then shared that information with the Hilliard Division of Police. Hilliard officers located the vehicle at a gas station shortly after and detained everyone without incident. The suspects were turned over to Dublin Police.

A search of the vehicle turned up tools associated with vehicle thefts and a phone displaying directions to Wyandotte Woods, according to the release. All six suspects, from Dayton, were charged with attempted theft of a motor vehicle and possession of criminal tools.

"Through this extraordinary partnership, we believe we not only interrupted the activity reported in Dublin, but likely prevented additional thefts here and in neighboring communities," Dublin Police Chief Justin Páez said.

The operation involved Dublin patrol officers, detectives, supervisors, the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center (NRECC) and the Hilliard Division of Police.

The arrests came roughly two weeks after Hilliard City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 14 to pause the city's own Flock camera program. Council members said the pause was not prompted by concerns about misuse by Hilliard police but by broader questions about the technology, 10TV reported. Hilliard City Council President Emily Cole said the city needed more time to examine the technology.

The Dublin release does not specify whether Hilliard's Flock cameras played a role in locating the suspect vehicle or whether Dublin's system alone drove the identification. Hilliard's Flock Safety transparency portal lists 15 cameras with a 30-day data retention policy and prohibits use of the system for immigration enforcement, traffic enforcement or personal use.

No statement from the Hilliard Division of Police regarding the Oct. 2 operation has been released. No court date has been set.