The Oak Brook Police Department and some of the village’s homeowners associations have joined forces to improve security.
The village has instituted a 50/50 license plate reader program, which includes installation of a camera system for each of the participating homeowners associations and therefore provides important information to police when needed. The village and the homeowners associations are sharing the cost.
“LPRs have a proven track record in locating stolen and suspicious vehicles as well as being used as an investigative tool when damages or crimes are later discovered,” Village Manager Greg Summers said. “Working with homeowners’ associations allows for the village’s investment to reach further, while also utilizing the LPRs on vehicles entering a subdivision’s defined area allows for the Police Department to begin responding to a suspicious vehicle before an suspect even begins to commit an offense.”
Oak Brook has 18 ungated subdivisions and 13 that are gated. Of the 18 ungated communities, 15 homeowners associations expressed interest in price quotes for participating and acquiring license plate readers. Of those, eight agreed to take part at this time, Summers said.
He said Monday that electrical installation work wrapped up last week, and cameras are being installed this week.
The homeowners association at Trinity Lakes is one that opted to participate in the program.
More Top Picks Best Dual Tap Kegerators
Denise Marro, president of Trinity Lakes, said residents there like the idea of the increased security offered by the license plate readers.
“It’s an extra layer of security and really all we have,” she said. “It helps give the police more information about who might be driving around here, who shouldn’t be here. I think it’s wonderful that the village pursued this for us.”
Summers said that collectively the program will add an additional 15 license plate reader cameras in Oak Brook, alongside seven additional village cameras in direct proximity to Oakbrook Center, a recently acquired mobile unit, several cameras owned and operated by Oakbrook Center, and those already in the village’s systemwide inventory.
“Many of the village’s subdivisions already have in place their own gated security check point and/or camera systems that provide this level of security, so it was never expected that there would be a 100% level of participation,” Summers said.
He said that while the Police Department initially requested $50,000 for Oak Brook’s license plate readers, the Village Board opted to set aside $200,000 for the 50/50 cost match program, with a willingness to increase the village’s contribution if homeowners’ association interest exceeded the allocated funding.
Summers said license plate readers are becoming commonplace in law enforcement, but believes the 50/50 program is at this point unique.
“This is the first attempt that we are aware of to utilize the technology in partnership with individual homeowners’ associations to secure their own neighborhood,” he said.
Police Chief Brian Strockis said that in addition to the license plate readers going up, Oak Brook police will be implementing a new virtual real-time crime center integrating both the readers and other cameras throughout the village.
“We are leveraging technology to better serve the community,” he said.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.