It’s budget season, and an artificial intelligence (AI) application for writing up police reports from body-worn camera and drone data is available from one of DeKalb Police Department’s favorite vendors. Does it lurk in the PD’s budget worksheets? If so, the city should start public conversations now about oversight, transparency, and other pros and cons…
Tag: police department
“Time Bomb” Barnes & the First Responders
DeKalb mayor Cohen Barnes is hoping to become the Democratic candidate in this month’s primary election for Illinois House District 76 representative. In his introductory statement during a candidates’ forum, Mayor Barnes said, “We’ve hired over 20 police officers in the last year alone — and firefighters.” The statement is unusual in at least two…
Series: Prosecution of City Ordinance Violations
Our local schools employ city police as “school resource officers” (SROs) via intergovernmental agreements, and have for years. The objectives are enhanced safety and better relations between law enforcement and the public. What people don’t know is many Illinois schools, including District 428, have turned to SROs to take on disciplinary roles for school infractions…
What FOIA has revealed so far about prosecutions of children in City of DeKalb
Since last spring, I’ve submitted several requests with City of DeKalb for information about school resource police officers’ ticketing of children in local schools, a practice in more than 160 school districts statewide, including District 428. Here, I want to summarize data I’ve obtained that readers might find useful in evaluating the administrative hearing program.…
Determination: DeKalb must release locations of license plate readers
The Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has determined that City of DeKalb improperly denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the locations of its license plate reader cameras (LPRs). DeKalb fought release of the information beyond all reason. This post examines three ways the city embarrassed itself doing it. The…
Children as city revenue sources
Schools in Illinois are not allowed to “ticket” children for misbehavior. So they have the police do it, according to a new series of articles by Pro Publica and Chicago Tribune. A boy named Kameron, who had shoved his friend over a Lipton peach iced tea in the school cafeteria, had been cited for violating…
Elements of a sound policy for automated license plate readers
The Daily Chronicle covered the October 11 city council discussion that led to approval of the purchase of 12 automated license plate readers. The newspaper purports to know how DeKalb PD plans to use the ALPRs, but that is not entirely true. They talked about some aspects, but as yet DeKalb has no formal policy…
Chief Lowery doesn’t want you at meetings if you don’t have anything nice to say
DeKalb’s police chief, Eugene Lowery, is so very, very tired of your negativity. Here’s what he said at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting of council. I want you to hear everyone’s voice. Not the voices of the few that walk up to this podium, and day in and day out, or week in and…
Feels like a SLAPP to me
***Update 11/3/2017*** Next court appearance is Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 9 am in Room 300 of the DeKalb County Courthouse. DeKalb’s police chief is suing a McHenry County resident for calling him names in emails addressed to other DeKalb city officials. [DeKalb Police Chief] Gene Lowery filed suit in DeKalb County Court in January 2016,…
Resident Officer Programs: One of These Things is Not Like the Others
**UPDATE 11/24** Via email, the city still maintains that the redaction “facially” applied to its FOIA response. However: [A]fter further discussion with the Police Department, we believe that the Resident Officer Program’s mission is furthered by engaging with the public wherever possible, and where doing so does not endanger public or officer safety. Accordingly, the…