Spate of Chicago Expressway Shootings Prompts Illinois State Police Call for More Cameras, License Plate Readers

Illinois State Police is calling for increased access to license plate readers and cameras on the greater Chicago area expressways amid a spate of shootings along the roadways, according to multiple reports.

Sixty-two shootings have been reported on Illinois’ Cook County expressways as of July 21 of this year, while 52 were reported in 2019, 43 in 2018, 51 in 2017, and 54 in 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune.

More than half of this year’s shootings– 41 — were reported on just two roadways: Interstate 57 and the Dan Ryan Expressway, the outlet reported.

The data shows that 29 of those Chicago-area expressway shootings occurred during the states’ Stay at Home Order, which was announced on April 23 and continued through the end of May. During that time, Illinois State Police spokesperson Beth Hundsdorfer explained, traffic was “sparse,” making it easier for suspects to get away.

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Law enforcement officials are now seeking additional technology, such as license plate readers and high-definition roadway cameras, to assist them in investigating these types of crimes going forward, multiple outlets reported.

A law passed in July of 2019, which took effect this year, requires state agencies including Illinois State Police and the Department of Transportation to come up with a plan to increase the number of cameras along expressways in Cook County. {snip}

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Shootings have skyrocketed elsewhere in Chicago over the past several weeks.

On Tuesday night, 15 people were shot outside a funeral home on Chicago’s South Side, despite a police presence.

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