The Champaign Police Department has been authorized to install 66 ALPR units throughout the City, along with utilizing department-owned cameras for ALPR integration.  Other law enforcement agencies, including the University of Illinois Police Department, operate their own ALPR units, which are not directly tied to the Champaign Police Department’s ALPR system.

The recommendation of where to deploy ALPR units was developed by the Police Department in consultation with a Flock Group, Inc. representative and based upon the analysis of five years of data on shooting incidents and associated locations.  The recommendation was based on providing adequate coverage of the neighborhoods most frequently affected by gun violence.  ALPR unit locations were identified outside the neighborhoods most frequently affected by gun violence, not within them.  Preliminary deployment plans focus on arterial streets and the routes most likely to be traveled by those who commit acts of gun violence. 

Under Department Policy 41.18, ALPR units may be used to investigate license plate information related to: 

“…identifying the license plate numbers of or associated with stolen vehicles, wanted subjects, missing persons, AMBER Alerts, or other criteria as determined by a Deputy Chief of Police.  ALPRs may also be used to gather information related to active warrants, homeland security, electronic surveillance, suspect interdiction, stolen property recovery, or other legitimate law enforcement purposes.  ALPR devices shall not be used to enforce registration violations or City ordinance violations.” 

All ALPR data (both “reads” and “alerts”) will be retained for 30 days.  After 30 days, ALPR data shall be purged unless it has become, or it is reasonable to believe it will become,  evidence in a civil or criminal action or is subject to a lawful action or order to produce such records.

CPD Policy and Procedure 41.18. The Champaign Police Department has incorporated feedback from the City Council and the public at the October 5, 2021 Study Session, to create Policy 41.18, which dictates the acceptable uses for the technology and protects against misuse.  The policy also requires that a Deputy Chief evaluate the efficacy of the technology and the specific ALPR locations twice annually.  The ALPR policy can be found online here. 

ALPR Transparency Portal. As a part of the agreement, Flock Group, Inc. has agreed to assist the City in establishing and maintaining an ALPR Transparency Portal for the ALPR system utilized by the City. This portal will go live along with the system, once installations are completed. The Transparency Portal will be accessible to members of the public and serves as a hub for information related to the City’s ALPR usage, including information on data retention and access policies.  The site provides usage statistics, including the number of ALPRs the City is leasing and a list of the other law enforcement agencies with whom the City shares ALPR information.  It also will provide statistical information concerning reads, alerts, and searches over the previous 30 days.