Nine Will County Municipalities Face Expired License Plate Reader Agreements; Crest Hill Opts Out

Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | April 7, 2026

Article Summary: Will County’s network of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) is undergoing a renewal phase, with nine municipalities operating on expired agreements, prompting upcoming testimonies from local police chiefs regarding the cameras’ effectiveness.

ALPR Renewal Key Points:

• Agreements for ALPRs located on Will County right-of-ways have expired for nine municipalities.

• The City of Crest Hill has formally opted out and has been instructed to remove its cameras from county property.

• The remaining eight municipalities have expressed a strong desire to renew their agreements.

• The Shorewood Police Chief is expected to address the committee in May to present data on how the cameras assist local law enforcement.

The Will County Board Public Works & Transportation Committee on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, received an update on the status of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) stationed across county highway right-of-ways, revealing that nine municipal agreements have expired.

County Engineer Jeff Ronaldson informed the committee that the county recently dispatched expiration notices to the nine affected municipalities. While the vast majority intend to keep the technology, the City of Crest Hill has decided to pull the plug.

“All but one so far has said they want to renew,” Ronaldson said. “The City of Crest Hill, for example, decided to remove them. They just have to remove the license plate reader from our right-of-way and put them somewhere else.”

Ronaldson explained that the original Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) were signed with three-year terms, which many municipalities simply forgot to track. He noted that he has personally spoken with three police chiefs who “very much want them in place” and view them as critical to the success of their police work.

Board Member Kelly Hickey (D-Naperville) questioned the tangible value of the cameras, asking Ronaldson if the chiefs provided any hard data or statistics proving the ALPRs had directly led to arrests. Ronaldson noted that the chiefs were initially just responding to the expiration letters, but that they have been invited to formally plead their case before the committee next month.

“I believe the consensus of this committee has been that we agree that they’re important, but we just need to make sure that the policies and procedures around the storage of data and the sharing of data are followed,” Ronaldson said.

Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne (D-Wilmington) added that he had recently spoken with the Shorewood Police Chief, who has previously testified in Springfield regarding ALPR technology. VanDuyne invited the chief to the May committee meeting to provide a comprehensive overview.

“He would just like [to give] a quick overview on what they do provide the police departments, and maybe he could be able to answer some of the other questions about how long they keep the footage,” VanDuyne said. “Either way you decide to vote, at least you know, the more information the better.”

The renewed IGAs for the eight remaining municipalities are expected to appear on the committee’s May agenda following approval by their respective village and city boards.