Mokena Trustees OK Purchase Of 13th License-Plate Reading Camera

Mokena IL

14 October, 2020

4:25 PM

Description

From the Richard Free Press: By Jon DePaolis MOKENA, Ill. – Mokena officials are following through on a promise they made to residents earlier this year after a string of car thefts led to nearly a hundred residents attending a January meeting to demand action be taken. The Village of Mokena Board of Trustees voted 6-0 Monday, Oct. 12, to approve a contract with Flock Safety for an additional license-plate reading camera at a cost of $2,500 per year for a period of five years, as well as an installation fee of $250. The Village Board already approved the purchase of 12 license-plate reading cameras as part of the budget discussions earlier this year. "We're moving along with the license-plate readers, like we promised the residents we would when it came to safety and security in Mokena," Mayor Frank Fleischer said during the Oct. 12 meeting. "We're working with Frankfort, New Lenox, Orland Park and Tinley Park. They will also put up these license-plate readers, so we will we be surrounded by these municipalities. "What they will do is as vehicles try to come through our community, even if they steal a license plate, we can still get the make of that car and follow [it] through the area. This is going to be a big deal for the Village of Mokena and for our residents. Nobody had to hold our feet to the fire, because we promised you we were going to do this." Mokena Police Chief Steven Vaccaro expanded on the cameras after the meeting. He said that after the uptick in car burglaries and car thefts earlier this year – and even as far back as 2019 – a number of residents attended the Jan. 27 Village Board meeting to ask Mokena officials to do more to deter those types of crimes. During that meeting, several residents suggested additional measures the police department and Village could implement. "The Village Board made a promise to our residents that we would do everything we could to help safeguard our residents, their property and, of course, their safety," Vaccaro said. After that meeting, Vaccaro said he received an email from a resident asking him to look into the license plate-reading technology that was being used by a police department in a northern suburb. He did, and later reached out to several southwest suburban police chiefs to talk about the license-plate readers. From there, the police chiefs in the Lincoln-Way area decided to move forward with Flock Safety – a company that does a lot of business in Georgia, Vaccaro said. "It's a lease-to-own system," Vaccaro said. "It's very proprietary, but it doesn't require us to have any capital outlay, which is really nice. They are a sole provider, so they provide: the poles; the cameras; solar panels; batteries – you don't need electric, because they have a five-battery pack; [and] a cellphone that transmits all the information. It's really a nice deal. They come out, [and] they put it up and maintain it. We pay them a rental fee, basically, each year." Vaccaro said the cameras come with a 60-day, no-cost trial period. He also said the police department plans to use the cameras in a limited way. "We're looking at stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, felony warrants, AMBER alerts, Silver alerts and suicidal subjects," Vaccaro said. "Those are the hits we are looking for. [Or], if we have a criminal incident – like an armed robbery, sexual assault or another vehicle hijacking – we can use that information from the cameras to see if we have a partial on the license plate. We can search a partial license plate and see if that vehicle hit any of those locations [where] we have cameras. "This will not only be a nice proactive tool for the patrol officers but also a nice investigation tool for my detectives." He also said that after surveying the area to determine where the cameras would be placed, it was identified that an additional camera was needed beyond the already approved 12 devices – leading to the approval on Oct. 12 for the 13th camera. "[The cameras are in] most of our major intersections, a couple of subdivision areas and residential areas," Vaccaro said. "We've got a very good geo-fence around the Village. What's nice is that the cameras look at rear license plates only. So, as a car goes through it, it zaps the license plate and runs it through the national database – the National Crime Information Computer – and Law Enforcement Agency Data System, which is maintained by the Illinois State Police. "Within 10 seconds, the officer will get a hit if there is something we're looking for." Vaccaro said the cameras may be installed by the end of the month. Richard Free Press is a one-stop destination for the news that most affects you, the southwest suburban resident. Be an informed citizen of the town you live in and love.