Decatur, Illinois Automatic License Plate Reader Locations & Images

Check CU has received data from the City of Decatur showing all of their automatic license plate reader (ALPR) locations, as well as sample images from each camera. 

ALPRs were unanimously approved by the Decatur City Council in March of 2021, making them one of the first public bodies in Central Illinois to adopt the technology.  By the end of 2021, Decatur had 60 ALPRs installed, with plans for more. 

Check CU has created an interactive map of the current sixty camera locations here (clicking on a camera icon will show you a sample ALPR photograph taken at that location):

A message forwarded by Decatur FOIA Administrator Diane Beggs on December 27^th indicated that the City was already planning additional units: “In addition, we have been approved to install 40 additional FLOCK cameras in the city.  We are in the process of identifying the locations for these cameras.  Most will go on the west side.”

It is unclear why, in December, City officials said that they had approval for 40 additional cameras when the Decatur City Council did not actually approve that increase until February 22^nd, 2022.

Check CU asked Decatur to provide six sample images from each camera (three daytime and three nighttime).  Decatur provided most of the images, but some were missing or corrupt.

Four months ago, Check CU documented serious deficiencies in Flock Safety ALPRs installed in the Village of Rantoul, Illinois.  Information provided by the Decatur Police Department seems to indicate that Decatur is experiencing similar problems with some of their Flock equipment:

 “It should be noted that camera #1 was not operational on 12/16/21 (the date that the requestor specified the images come from) so there are no images.  Also, for the images requested after 2200 on 12/16/21, cameras 11, 34, 37, and 40 did not collect any images between 2200 and 2359 on 12/16/21—these cameras may have been in severe status and not operational.”

The 338 ALPR images provided by the City of Decatur can be viewed here (click on any image to launch a full resolution viewer):

Decatur is also allowing for private funds to guide the locations of City-owned ALPRs.  From FOIA Administrator Beggs:

“An additional FLOCK camera is being installed at Church/Greenwood to catch cars coming into the Greenwood neighborhood.  That neighborhood association is paying for half of the camera cost.“

ALPRs have also recently been installed in Peoria, Danville, and Rantoul.  In December, the Springfield City Council voted to install 83 ALPRs and the Champaign City Council voted to install 50 ALPRs.  The Bloomington City Council approved the installation of ALPRs three weeks ago.  The University of Illinois installed just five Flock ALPRs in 2021.  The Urbana City Council turned down APLRs in November, but the idea has resurfaced numerous times since that vote.