Mason Police Department's license plate reader cameras helped locate a missing 86-year-old Delhi Township man with dementia on Monday after a Silver Alert was issued for his disappearance.

William Bauer's safe recovery was confirmed by the Delhi Township Police Department, which credited Mason PD and the department's Flock Safety camera network with the outcome. Delhi Township Police said on X on Monday that Flock cameras and the Mason Police Department helped them safely locate Bauer, and thanked numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the Tri-State area that assisted in the search.

Delhi Township sits in Hamilton County, roughly 30 miles southwest of Mason. The cross-jurisdictional reach of the Flock camera network allowed the two departments in different counties to coordinate.

How the technology works

Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company, operates more than 120,000 automated license plate reader cameras across 49 states and works with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies, according to WLWT. The cameras photograph passing vehicles and store license plate numbers along with make, model, and color. When a vehicle tied to a missing person or crime passes a camera, the system alerts police and departments can share data with neighboring agencies.

Flock Safety told WLWT its system helped locate more than 10,000 missing persons in the prior year.

Regional use

Warren County-area law enforcement agencies also use Flock cameras. Warren County Emergency Services Sgt. Corey Adams demonstrated the system at a supervisors' meeting in March 2025, and the county has used the cameras for stolen vehicle recoveries, according to a Warren County Emergency Services newsletter from that month.

No details have been released about the specific number of Flock cameras Mason PD operates, when the department adopted the technology or the cost of the contract. Mason Police Department has not released a statement about its role in the search.

What residents should know

Anyone who encounters a person who appears lost or confused can call 911. Silver Alerts are issued statewide for missing adults who are 65 or older or have a cognitive impairment such as dementia. The Delhi Township alert received more than 94,000 impressions on X before it was canceled Monday evening.