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LaSalle announces purchase of mobile speed radar; officials say it records only speeds and times
Summary
LaSalle city officials announced the police department purchased a mobile speed radar unit called a Stalker to monitor vehicle speeds, saying it records only speed and timestamp data (not driver identities or photos) and can be moved for enforcement planning and community messaging.
LaSalle officials announced that the city police department purchased a mobile speed radar unit known as a "Stalker" to monitor vehicle speeds at locations around town. Moderator for the recording and Jeff Grove said the device is intended to gather speed and time data to inform traffic-control decisions.
The Moderator said the device "isn't taking any sort of information about driver's license or driver information. It's strictly taking information about people going over the speed limit and when they're doing that." The officials said the unit runs on solar power and can operate continuously to collect speed readings and timestamps.
City representatives framed the device as a planning tool rather than an enforcement camera. "It's not collecting any photos of any drivers, not collecting any information about the driver's license that passes by, only the speeds and the times those speeds are recorded," the Moderator said. Jeff Grove added, "Definitely not a big brother looking on you trying to figure out your whole life story," to underscore the limited data collection.
Officials said the city considered stationary speed-display signs used in nearby communities, and noted a base cost for a stationary unit of about $10,000. They described the purchased unit as more mobile than a fixed sign and said Oglesby allowed LaSalle to trial a different machine to help inform the choice.
The speed and timestamp data, officials said, will be used by the police department and city council to decide if traffic changes such as new stop signs or yield signs are needed on particular streets. The Moderator also said the device can display messages on its screen and be deployed at community events or during road closures to provide information to the public.
Officials invited residents to ask questions and provided a city-hall contact number: (815) 223-3755. The recording concluded with an invitation to contact city staff for more details.
The transcript references Brent Bader as "director of community development for the city of LaSalle" joining the recording; however, the transcript does not clearly show him speaking, and a different given name ('Brandon') appears in a later line. The article uses only names and roles explicitly stated in the transcript and avoids assigning speaking lines to those not clearly identified.
