The River Forest Police Department will install 13 additional automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, expanding the crime-fighting program to 37 fixed cameras throughout the village.
The Village Board, at its December meeting, voted 5-0 to authorize the purchase of the cameras from Minuteman Technologies of Tinley Park for $50,800. Trustee Ken Johnson did not attend.
In a memo to Village Administrator Matt Walsh, police Chief Jim O’Shea said Minuteman has been the sole source provider for the department for seven years and continues to provide daily support and maintenance on their proprietary system.
The purchase includes the cameras, hardware, installation and configuration as well as the first year of annual licensing fees. The village will pay $500 per camera annually moving forward.
O’Shea said the new cameras have been ordered and that he expects installation in January depending on the availability of equipment and weather condition.
The license plates that are read by the cameras are compared to a database of wanted vehicles and alerts officers that a particular car is wanted for the commission of a crime, he explained. All license plate data is temporarily stored on a secure server. In addition, investigators and officers can manually enter license plate information to more efficiently identify cars that are wanted for local crimes. All police patrol vehicles and in-station police computers can monitor the ALPR plate reads in the event of a hit on a stolen or wanted car or driver.
ALPR cameras were initially purchased in 2017 and 2019 and upgraded or replaced in 2024. In March 2024, 17 fixed cameras in the business districts were added or replaced. The 13 additional cameras will be placed in residential areas, primarily where there is traffic flow in and out of the village.
O’Shea said staff members have monitored the effectiveness of the ALPR system for several years and determined that the system “significantly improves” the police department operational effectiveness and efficiency. The police department regularly detects and takes enforcement action on license plate hits for cars that are wanted for serious crimes within the village and throughout the metro area, he added.
In addition to the 37 fixed ALPR cameras, four police department vehicles are outfitted with mobile ALPR camera. The department also is awaiting delivery of a mobile trailer that will include an ALPR camera. The mobile trailer purchase was approved by the village board in November and delivery is expected in January.