Decatur City Council approves $50k for new police surveillance cameras

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Decatur City Council approved $50,000 for the Decatur Police Department to install 10 new Flock surveillance cameras on Monday. These will be live surveillance cameras versus just license plate readers.

"A couple of years ago, there was a homicide in Springfield, and because of the clock system, we captured the suspect," said Decatur Police Chief Brad Allen.

The system is called Flock, which the department has been using since 2021. The department currently has more than 100 license plate readers, an essential tool during investigations. Allen said advanced technology can even prevent crime.

"They are capturing images that will be stored for 30 days. So, if we need to watch a live environment, we're able to if there's something unfolding or if there's a scene, we will have that ability," Allen said.

Each camera is $5,000 apiece. The solar-powered cameras aim to protect, not to invade privacy.

"Flock has a lockdown system. Only our internal staff and those agencies where we would choose to share our data can access the Flock data. So, is just compliance, criminal justice, compliance," Allen said.

As technology continues to evolve, the police department hopes to add more surveillance in high-crime areas.

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