The Aurora City Council on Tuesday will consider contracts for license plate readers at the Chicago Premium Outlets mall in the city.
The council will consider three separate agreements – one contract to buy more license plate readers, and another for software that goes with them, and a third agreement with the outlet mall to use their security cameras.
The city is timing the work now because it is using three different grants to pay for the equipment and installation, and they have to be used by the end of June.
The contract for the software would be with Motorola for an amount not to exceed a total of $87,000. That would provide two services – the software for data from the license plate readers, and for integration with the existing FUSUS system the city has for public safety.
A separate agreement would be for $61,520 for purchase of the license plate readers with Scientel Solutions, LLC, of Aurora, which has an existing contract with the city for its public safety purchases of cameras and similar equipment.
The third agreement aldermen would consider is a simple one with Chicago Premium Outlets allowing the city to put the readers on their property.
The grants involved are a $1.2 million grant through the Rebuild Distressed Communities Grant program, an $85,630 grant from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and a $2.28 million COPS Technology and Equipment Program grant.
Parts of all three grants can be used for license plate readers, installation and services.
City officials said during the May 7 City Council Committee of the Whole meeting that the license plate readers are designed to curtail retail crime.
Aurora Police Lt. Andy Wolcott said license plate readers are mostly used to find stolen vehicles and missing persons, but also are used to find wanted persons.
For that reason, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has pushed use of license plate reader programs.
“We’re had great success with it,” Wolcott said.
One of the reasons for using them at Chicago Premium Outlets is its proximity to Interstate 88.
Wolcott said one of the ways the license plate readers prevent crime is by deterring repeat offenders.
“Word travels that this is a place where you can’t get away with things,” he said.
All three contracts will be on unfinished business for Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
slord@tribpub.com
