Champaign PD requests $475k in additional police tech

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Champaign Police Chief Timothy Tyler said shootings are down 73% since 2021, when the city saw record-setting violence. But he wants to see this trend continue. He's asked city council for new and expanded police technology to help officers make arrests and secure convictions.

The department is asking for 62 license plate readers (ALPRs), 16 more than CPD already has, four Falcon Flex ALPRs, 42 squad car ALPR Integration systems and 18 public safety camera boxes. This would cost about $475,000, $233,500 in one-time installation costs and another $241,890 in recurring costs for ALPR subscriptions through Flock.

"In my humble opinion, one shooting is too much and one homicide should never be allowed. So we're going to continue to do our part through policing, but we absolutely need technology to do our part," Chief Tyler told the Champaign City Council during Tuesday night's study session.

Chief Tyler said the Flock pilot program with Champaign was launched in May of 2022. He said the technology is helping officers crack cases and make arrests. Its also helping the state's attorney get convictions in cases that may have previously run cold.

"Because we didn't have the right technology back then, some of these parents might not ever get answers and may not ever get justice for their family members. So this is really police technology, its about getting justice, the right kind of justice," Chief Tyler explained.

He hopes to save the city money by introducing public safety camera boxes. These systems would include two cameras that provide a 360-degree view of intersections. The system would eliminate the need for some ALPR cameras, saving the city money.

Council members asked the chief about oversight of the technology that is being used by officers. Command staff said routine audits are being conducted, and no wrongdoing has been found so far.

The City of Champaign was also offered a one-year subscription of Raven Gunshot Detection technology, when the first contract was signed with Flock for ALPRs. Police staff said the system was mostly giving false alarms, so they're recommending against paying for this subscription.

Council voted to move forward with CPD's request for technology funding. WAND News will continue following this story, including the final council vote.