DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Decatur City Council is discussing whether to lease 60 new license plate cameras in area neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime.
IT and Decatur Police analyzed several methods and companies to finally settle on solar powered, LTE-enabled Flock Safety surveillance cameras that will take images of each car that passes through and gather information.
"The city of Decatur experienced a 30% increase in violent crime, and over 100% increase in the number of shootings last year," councilman David Horn said.
The cameras, if installed, will be able to scan your license plates to gather what car you drive, your plate information, and when you passed through the area.
"It allows our police officers to be more proactive in other parts of our city, making our entire city that much safer,"
Horn said. But they come at a price of $165,000 the first year and then $150,000 the second and third year of the lease.
"Any amount of dollars during these difficult economic times is is always a challenge. But $165,000 is money well spent," Horn said.
Twenty of the cameras will be paid for not from taxpayers, but from the Buffet Foundation's John's Hill Revitalization Grant. Horn said there may be people with privacy concerns, but he thinks the proposal will be voted through unanimously at the meeting tonight.
