On the agenda: Westmont Police Public Safety Committee — License Plate Reader (Oct 1)
⚠ Agenda Watch Westmont, Illinois · Thursday, October 1, 2026 — in 6 days
About this record
The published agenda for this October 1 meeting contains: "License Plate Reader", "Flock Safety", "facial recognition", "LPR camera". This is the public record BEFORE the vote — read the document, then show up. Public comment is where cancellations start.
Check the agenda document for the meeting time.
The agenda, word for word
Government public record — the full text of the published document, archived September 26, 2026. Gold highlighting of key terms is ours, not the original’s. Read the original document ↗
PUBLIC NOTICE
POLICE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
Thursday, October 1, 2026 - 4:30 PM
Westmont Village Hall - 31 W. Quincy Street, Westmont, Illinois 60559
AGENDA
1.
Call to Order
2.
Roll Call
3.
Pledge of Allegiance
4.
Public Comment
5.
Approval of Minutes
A.
Minutes of the August 6, 2026 regular meeting of the Police Public Safety
Committee.
6.
Unfinished Business
7.
New Business
A.
Swearing-in Ceremony
B.
Department Awards
C.
Staffing Update
D. Community Events
8.
Reports
A.
Division(s) Reports
i.
9.
Community Development Code Enforcement report
Miscellaneous
10. Adjourn
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Note: Any person who has a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation to
participate in the meeting should contact the ADA Compliance Officer, 9:00 A.M. to 4:00
P.M. Monday through Friday, Village of Westmont, Illinois, 60559; or telephone (630)
981-6210 voice, within a reasonable time before the meeting. Listen Everywhere, an
assistive listening, mobile app, is now available to visitors attending Board and
Commission Meetings held in the Village Hall Board Room.
https://westmont.illinois.gov/581/ADA-Listen-Everywhere
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Village Board Police Public Safety Committee
Westmont Village Hall - 31 West Quincy Street
eeting Minutes - August 6, 2026
M
Draft to be Approved - October 1, 2026
I.
CALL TO ORDER -Trustee Plowman called the meetingto order at 4:30 pm.
II.
ROLL CALL
ommittee
C
Mayor Nero
Trustee Plowman (Chairman)
Trustee Guzzo
Trustee Liddle (absent)
Trustee Barker
Trustee Scales (arrived 5:10 pm)
Trustee Parrilli (arrived 4:44 pm)
Village Clerk Szymski
isitors
V
None
S taff
Village Manager Gunther
Asst. Village Manager Parker
Police Chief Gruen
Fire Chief Riley
Public Works Director Ries
Village Engineer Ulreich
Community Development Director Hennerfeind
Finance Director Altic
Gov’t Services Director Mielcarski
HR Director Brainerd
IT Director Liljeberg
Administrative Sgt. Radtke
Detective Sgt. Padilla
Communications Assistant Babyar
Asst. to Police Chief Olsson
III.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
IV.
PUBLIC COMMENTS -None
V.
PPROVAL OF MINUTES -May 14, 2026 Police PublicSafety Committee meeting
A
minutes were approved by Motion Trustee Barker made and seconded by Trustee
Guzzo.
VI.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS- None
VII.
NEW BUSINESS
A.
Staffing Update
Chief Gruen reported on the progress on department staffing. The number of
vacant officer positions decreased from seven at the start of the year to three. A new
officer is scheduled to start the academy on August 24, and two additional officers
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August 6, 2026
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a re graduating from the academy on August 14, while three others are completing
field training and moving to solo patrol. The Fire and Police Commission is still
working hard and will be interviewing the last candidates on the eligibility list on
August 15. The current list is ready to expire soon.
anager Gunther asked about the status of the vacant School Resource
M
Officer (SRO) position. Chief Gruen announced that an officer will be assigned to
schools starting in January. Four officers have applied for the position, and the
superintendent has expressed excitement about the return of the liaison role to help
with programs and school safety. Trustee Guzzo asked which school the SRO is
assigned. Chief Gruen responded that the SRO supports all the schools in Westmont.
B.
Community Events
Chief Gruen listed the past and future events for the department:
1) Kids Safety Summer Camp - August 5-6 with 22 participants
2) National Night Out - August 4 at Ty Park - approximately 200 attendees
and 20 organizations. Thank you to the Lions Club for donating hotdogs
and grilling.
3) Uncle Bub’s Special Olympics Fundraiser - August 18
4) September 11th 25th anniversary-10 am at Fire Department bay at 500 N Cass
5) Special Olympics Golf Outing - September 18 at Village Greens, Woodridge
6) CPA Classes September 23 - November 11 - registration open on website
7) Shred Event for Special Olympics - October 3
8) DEA Drug Take Back - October 24
C.
License Plate Reader (LPR) Update
Chief Gruen introduced an update on the Flock Safety License Plate Reader
(LPR) program, with Sergeants Radtke and Padilla presenting details to address
public questions regarding its use and transparency (see attachment). Trustee Barker
asked if it is a national network. Sgt. Padilla stated that while the LPR system
operates as a national network, participation requires individual agencies to
purchase software and agree to data-sharing protocols. Trustee Plowman asked if
the system is tracking in real time. Sgt. Padilla explained that the system does not
perform continuous day-to-day tracking of citizens. Alerts only occur when a vehicle
is associated with a specific, verified law enforcement reason, such as a missing
person or criminal investigation. Cameras capture plates, vehicle make, model, and
color, but do not use biometrics, facial recognition, or personal data like names or
addresses. Officers must have a valid reason and report or call-for-service number to
query the system. Every search is logged and subject to internal audits.
Trustee Plowman asked how the “hotlist” works. Sgt. Padilla described the
rocess for placing "hotlist" alerts on vehicles involved in crimes, such as retail theft.
p
He noted that all hits must be verified by officers to ensure the vehicle matches the
description before taking action, as license plate numbers can sometimes be
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August 6, 2026
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uplicated across different states. Sgt. Padilla stated that the system is valuable for
d
investigations even when a full license plate is not available, as they can filter by
vehicle description, such as color and body style, to narrow down potential suspects.
He added that the village will soon launch a transparency portal similar to the one
used by the Village of Lombard, which will allow the public to view LPR data and
search statistics. He shared an example where the LPR system was used to identify a
vehicle involved in an armed robbery of a gaming console and cell phone, leading to
the apprehension of two suspects shortly after the incident. There was also a recent
case involving the theft of a vintage chair from a local business, where LPR data and
CCTV footage allowed officers to identify the vehicle and secure a recovery of the
item.
Trustee Parrilli asked about Chicago removing “shot spotters”. Sgt. Padilla
r esponded that LPRs are not shot spotters and are not needed in Westmont. Trustee
Plowman asked if there is adequate coverage with the current LPRs. Sgt. Padilla
stated that the locations of the LPRs are adequate at this time. Ideally, more could be
added to get better coverage of Westmont. Trustee Barker asked if a neighboring
town is considering subscribing to track speeders using GPS signals. Sgt. Padilla is not
aware that the system is being considered. Chief Gruen reiterated that damaging or
stealing LPR cameras is a Class 3 Felony.
VIII.
A.
B.
IX.
REPORTS
Committee Chair
No report
Division Reports
1) Administration - No report
2) Patrol - No report
3) Investigations - No report
MISCELLANEOUS
A.
Risk Management Insurance Review
HR Director Brainerd introduced Senior Vice President Dan Mackey
and First Vice President Mike Alesia from Alliant to present the risk
management program proposal (see attachment). Director Brainerd
discussed the risk management program under IRMA. She also discussed the
staff recommendation. Discussion ensued related to the annual rates.
Director Brainerd discussed the next steps for full transition to the new
insurance program.
B.
Residential Sprinkler System Requirements Discussion - agenda item added
AVM Parker introduced the topic, noting that the Fire Department
and other staff members have been researching code amendments. Former
Mayor Szymski provided feedback regarding the impact of sprinkler
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August 6, 2026
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r equirements on redevelopment and property values. The Board discussed
the importance of comparing Westmont’s requirements to those of
neighboring municipalities. Staff clarified that current requirements only
apply to new construction, not renovations. Staff plans to present a
comprehensive report at the August 20 Village Board meeting, incorporating
data on the costs and safety impacts of current regulations versus potential
alternatives.
C.
Lot Coverage Discussion
Community Development Director Hennerfeind discussed the lot
coverage regulations in response to recent public interest (see attachment).
Board members agreed that there is a need for a deeper discussion,
particularly concerning variances for older properties and the impact on
storm water management. Public Works Director Ries and Engineer Ulreich
clarified the distinction between zoning and storm water regulations. The
consensus was that these two issues should be addressed separately and
discussion should continue in future meetings.
D.
Wall of Mayors Review - deferred to the Village Board meeting due to lack of time
X.
DJOURN - Approvedby Motion Trustee Barker made and seconded by Trustee
A
Guzzo at 6:00 p.m. (next meeting is scheduled on October 1, 2026)
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- Sep 26, 2026 Filed on the Docket
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