The use of automated license plate readers are having a big impact on investigations into highway shootings in Illinois, according to the Illinois State Police.
There have been 42 shootings on interstate highways so far this year.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly spoke with WBEZ's Michael Puente to discuss the impact license plate readers have had on identifying suspects in a majority of the cases.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Click the "play" button to listen to the entire interview.
MICHAEL PUENTE: Director Kelly, according to your department figures, those automated license plate readers have helped to identify someone involved in the shooting, or a person who witnessed it 80% of the time. That percentage jumps to 100% if the shooting is a fatality. Does that mean an arrest is being made in 80 to 100% of interstate shootings?
BRENDAN KELLY: No, not necessarily. It depends on each individual case. And sometimes when you're able to use the LPR data, you're actually able to refute what the report may have been and determine it was some other type of incident. Or you've identified a mutual combat situation, or you've identified witnesses where there's an additional lead or circumstance that you have to follow up on. So it's not as simple as all that.
But it is an absolutely incredibly effective and important tool for public safety that we've been using in many ways that are critical to the type of dynamic you have when you have an expressway or interstate shooting. The degree of difficulty in these types of cases is much greater than what you would find your typical type of shooting or crime that occurs in a neighborhood.
MP: And so the number of highway shootings since 2019 is staggering — more than 860. But highway shootings are down this year compared to the same time last year. So do you attribute that to this technology?
BK: Yeah, it's a steady decline, not just in that one year from last year. It's a steady decline all across those past four years as we've expanded the use of license plate readers. Now that is not the only tool. We've also used data and used analysis of that data to better place officers where they need to be. We've used our pursuit policy very wisely, using air assets to make sure that we are following up and pursuing people that have committed these terrible crimes.
But the license plate readers are, in many of these cases, kind of the glue that brings all these law enforcement elements together with our additional special agents, with our forensic capabilities, some of the other techniques that we're using to be able to get DNA off of shell casings. All those things are coming together. But undoubtedly we're seeing on a daily basis how these license plate readers are being able to be used to help us apprehend some of the most dangerous individuals.
MP: And Director Kelly, there is a lawsuit against the state of Illinois claiming those cameras are an invasion of privacy. Can you say anything about that?
BK: Well, I can't speak about cases in particular. You know, there's always litigation anytime law enforcement is doing something. There's always going to be civil liberty issues that are going to be of a concern.
There's very tight restrictions about how this data can be used. There's very strong limitations about the data retention and who could have access to it and under what circumstances. And the records have to be destroyed after 90 days. And we think that's a reasonable balance. And you know, we're not talking about accessing data that is not in a public place. There's probably no place more open and more public than the open highway.
MP: Brendan Kelly is the director of the Illinois State Police. Thank you for joining us this morning, Director Kelly.
BK: Absolutely.
