A joint initiative between the Illinois House and Illinois State Police is bringing cameras to highways across the state. The move stems from legislation originally passed in Illinois House Bill gave Illinois State Police the authority to install highway cameras and automatic license plate readers. Illinois Rep. The Illinois State Police declined an interview with WCBU for this story, but provided a statement from director Brendan Kelly, echoing the effectiveness of the cameras.
The license plate readers are an invaluable tool that assists us in identifying violent crime suspects. In a purchase from private company Flock Security, the City of East Peoria has approved the installation of at least According to a Peoria Police Department spokesperson, there are 62 license plate reader cameras currently operating across the city, with nine still waiting to be installed.
They have allowed us to gather information quicker than in the past and provide investigative leads that we otherwise may not have gotten.
The Illinois State Police have been outstanding partners in Peoria's efforts to reduce crime. Interstate cameras will continue to allow us to work with Illinois State Police, in our efforts to reduce crime.
Even the Peoria International Airport has approved the use of the cameras for their parking lots. According to GIS data from the Illinois State Police , the Peoria area has not seen a recorded highway shooting incident in at least the last five years. The closest relevant incident in the same timeframe is a Feb. Gordon-Booth says individual privacy is still a concern as additional cameras are rolled out in public spaces.
