The Village of Rantoul, Illinois has asserted for the second time that they are permitted to keep locations of automatic license plate readers a secret from the public. Check CU sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking records on the locations of Rantoul’s cameras on November 11th, 2021 and again on February 18th, 2022 – both were denied.
Village Attorney David Wesner issued his more recent denial on March 28th, 2022. Wesner cited the following FOIA exemption:
5 ILCS 140/7(1)(v) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and response policies or plans that are designed to identify, prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a community’s population or systems, facilities, or installations, the destruction or contamination of which would constitute a clear and present danger to the health or safety of the community, but only to the extent that disclosure could reasonably be expected to jeopardize the effectiveness of the measures or the safety of the personnel who implement them or the public. Information exempt under this item may include such things as details pertaining to the mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to the operation of communication systems or protocols, or to tactical operations.
In contrast, when the City of Champaign, Illinois recently approved ALPRs a map of the planned locations was shown to the public at a City Council meeting. After Check CU sent a FOIA request to City of Decatur, Illinois, they responded the next week with a list of locations for all sixty of their ALPRs.
The ALPRs sold by Flock Safety (used by Rantoul and many other localities in Illinois) are located on public property and are not difficult to spot. The cameras sit atop black poles with solar panels which are roughly 2x2ft in size, and are typically placed out in the open at highly trafficked intersections.
There is little reason to think that the locations of the cameras can, or should, be kept secret. Check CU could not find any data, study, or claim which shows that being secretive about ALPR installations inhibits crime more than openly advertising their presence. The knowledge of how and where residents are being recorded and tracked by their government is also vital information in regards to 4th Amendment concerns.
Rantoul’s FOIA denial letter, issued by David Wesner of the Champaign, Illinois law firm Evans, Froehlich, Beth, & Chamley, can be viewed here (click for full 3 page PDF):
