How Cameras Helped Darien Cops Make Arrests

DARIEN, IL – A few months ago, Darien put up eight license plate reader cameras around town, which the police chief called a good investment.

"It's a great tool to use," Chief Greg Thomas said at a City Council meeting this week. "We'll continue to use that tool to locate stolen vehicles, track the movement of offenders and track missing persons."

The city plans to install two more cameras.

In a memo to the council, Thomas gave examples where the cameras have helped:

• A detective used a camera after an aggravated robbery at Home Depot. The detective was able to identify the suspect's car. That information was used to obtain a warrant for the suspect, who was also wanted in a Chicago shooting.
• Officers responded to a report of a theft, with the suspect's car leaving a local store. Detectives used the cameras to get the car's direction of travel and used other databases to narrow the direction to neighboring Willowbrook. They found the car.
• A car was stolen at the Hinsdale Lake Terrace apartment complex, which is next to Burr Ridge. The stolen car passed a camera in Darien. Officers used tire-deflating devices to stop the car. The occupants were taken into custody.
• A driver fled from an officer in July. A search of cameras traced the car to unincorporated DuPage County. Police found the car was stolen overnight and was connected to several car burglaries in Darien and unincorporated areas.
• A camera alerted an officer to a stolen car in August. Once the officer stopped the suspect, the driver ran into a nearby neighborhood. The suspect was arrested.
• An attempted burglary at McDonald's occurred. A camera allowed officers to track the suspect's car into Bolingbrook. The suspect was arrested.

In the memo, Thomas said police must balance the cameras' advantages with privacy concerns. The devices, he said, capture thousands of images per minute and create a vast database that can track people's movements over time.

"The ACLU is addressing concerns by advocating for regulations on the time limits of data retention," the chief said.

He also said proposed state legislation would restrict how long the data can be kept, which would require audits of the systems.

"By working with lawmakers, we can balance both public safety with the protections for misuse of the technology," Thomas said.