Dixon license plate camera detects stolen vehicle, driver hoofs it after ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ launch into field

DIXON – New license plate readers installed around Lee County two months ago are boosting local law enforcement’s investigative efforts by sending in data that ties passing vehicles to already reported crimes, Lee County Sheriff Clay Whelan said.

At a recent county Public Safety Committee meeting, the sheriff provided an overview on the Flock license plate readers, saying data from the six cameras have assisted in almost 60 investigations since they were installed. He described the license plate readers as surveillance cameras that capture images of license plates along with other vehicle characteristics. If a camera detects a vehicle that has been reported stolen, is listed in any type of missing person alert or is otherwise associated with a crime, the software sends immediate alerts to law enforcement.

Whelan said that is exactly what happened about 1:15 a.m. Sept. 14, when a license plate reader notified the Lee County Sheriff’s Office that a maroon Chevy Camaro – which was seen exiting Interstate 88 and heading north on South Galena Avenue – was reported stolen Sept. 7 in Denver.

Lee County deputies and Dixon police officers found the vehicle in the Road Ranger parking lot along South Galena Avenue. The driver fled south toward Interstate 88 as a Dixon police officer tried to stop the vehicle, according to a sheriff’s report.

Whelan described what happened next to be “a Dixon, Illinois, rendition of the ‘Dukes of Hazzard.’”

“The individual, not being from the area, missed the interstate, so they turned on East Corporate Drive and, unbeknownst to them, that road comes to an end,” Whelan said at the meeting.

Responding officers lost sight of the vehicle and established a perimeter to begin searching the area when, “all of a sudden, they stumbled upon some vehicle parts,” Whelan said.

The parts indicated that a crash had occurred at the dead end of East Corporate Drive and, not long after, the vehicle was found abandoned about seven rows deep into a fully developed cornfield, according to the report.

“It didn’t affect the standing corn. So it was airborne before it hit,” Whelan said.

To find the driver – as the vehicle was found unoccupied – Lee County Emergency Management Director Kevin Lally deployed a drone equipped with thermal-imaging software. The drone was unable to detect anybody in the field because the heavy leaves retained a lot of heat from when the temperature had gotten up to about 90 degrees earlier in the day, according to the report.

Items recovered from the vehicle were sent to a crime lab for DNA analysis. The sheriff’s office is now waiting for results of the analysis. If those results match anybody in law enforcement’s national database of DNA profiles, an arrest warrant will be issued, Whelan said.

The cameras also have allowed officers to recover another stolen vehicle in a separate incident and arrest an individual who was wanted on a warrant for criminal damage to property. The cameras also have aided in various traffic stops, citations and arrests, Whelan said. They act as a “force multiplier” for the sheriff’s office because each camera replaces the need to have a deputy stationed at that location running license plates, Whelan said.

The cameras also can help during an investigation because officers are able to search for a vehicle that has been associated with a crime using its make, model or other distinguishing characteristics such as a bumper sticker, he said.

“It’s justified having the cameras,” Public Safety Committee Chairman Mike Koppien said during the meeting.

Koppien added: “It’s not the cheapest thing out there, but it’s really working ... now that I’ve seen them – and heard them – in action.”

Each camera cost about $5,000, with a $2,000 installation fee and a $3,000 annual lease fee, Whelan said.

The cameras have been used by sheriff’s offices in Winnebago, Stephenson and Ogle counties for a number of years.

“Now, it’s kind of trickled down to us,” Whelan said.

He added that “the general public has nothing to worry about.” The cameras are not used for traffic enforcement; they’re strictly for criminal activity.

“They’re a great tool for us to utilize,” Whelan said. “In the future, I think we’ll be talking about how these cameras helped us to solve a major crime.”