EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Technology that police say has helped reduce crime along Chicago area expressways is coming to the Metro East.
Illinois State Police began installing license plate reader cameras on Chicago area expressways following the enactment of the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act on January 1, 2020. Clayton was on her way to work in February 2019 when she was shot and killed while driving on Interstate 57 near Cicero Avenue in Chicago.
Between 2021 and 2022, shootings dropped by 47% and homicides dropped by 88%.
The cameras take pictures of license plates connected to serious crimes and send them to police.
Right now, there are about 45 of them perched above Interstates 55, 64 and 70. By the end of this year, there will be 75, Kelly said.
And, word has gotten out among criminals, said East St. Louis Police Chief Kendall Perry.
“It's going to put out a message to people that you cannot commit crimes in this area,” Perry said. “If you do, we're going to be looking at you."
“So that's a big message to put out to the city because they've wanted so long for something like this to occur and it's finally here.”
The cameras also help police track down witnesses to crimes that happen along roadways, said ISP Director Brendan Kelly.
“We're not keeping this a secret from the public or from even potential criminals,” Kelly said. “We want them to know that these tools are out there and that the automated license plate readers are going to be watching people who are involved in criminal activity.
“And we will use the information we get from the automated license plate readers to find you, to investigate you, to hold you accountable, and to bring you to justice if you commit an act of violence in this community.”
ISP received $12.5 million from the Illinois Department of Transportation Road Fund Grant to install the first round of cameras. Due to the program's success in the Chicago area, on June 6, 2022, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an extension of the Tamara Clayton Act. It made another $20 million available to install cameras in 21 more counties in Illinois, including in the Metro East.
Kelly said the cameras will only be used to help investigate serious crimes – not petty offenses like speeding, Kelly said.
The technology can also help police during Amber alert situations, Kelly said.
Illinois State Senator Christopher Belt, D-Swansea helped secure the money to bring the cameras to Madison and St. Clair counties.
“Today is really a monumental day in the Metro East,” Belt said. “It's a monumental day in Illinois because we're here to talk about a game changer when it comes to combating crime in the Metro East.”
The cameras have also helped the Public Safety Enforcement Group – a conglomeration of police departments and the ISP – reach a 69% clearance rate on homicide cases.