The Union County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation about a proposed pilot deployment of vendor-owned gunshot-detection sensors, license-plate readers and live-video cameras at selected intersections and near schools.

An unidentified county presenter said the vendor offered a 90-day free trial and would install cameras at several intersections, at junior high schools and at a four-way stop. The presenter said the vendor'provided system would detect a gunshot, identify caliber, and cue nearby cameras to show a live feed to officers on the ground. "The technology they have is amazing," the presenter said.

Presenters described a vendor pricing model in which the county would not purchase equipment: the vendor charges about $3,000 per camera and about $500 extra for live-view capability, they said, and waived installation fees. The presenter also said a police-system access fee of $13,500 covers one year of the vendor's police portal. The presenter said license-plate reads would be checked against the State of Illinois database and that in-vehicle dash and fixed cameras could automatically run plates so deputies would not have to look away from the road.

Board members asked about permitting for cameras mounted on state-owned light poles and the need to coordinate with the State of Illinois for installations along state highways. The presenter said utility-mounted installations require additional permitting time but that the state generally approves camera permits when all paperwork is in order. The presenter also said several local schools had expressed interest and that specific camera locations had been discussed with school staff.

No formal funding or contract award was recorded at the meeting; the board paused discussion to continue budget deliberations later.

Provenance:
- topicintro: transcript block 2068.1301 ("Marshall's the cop guy in, East Cape. That's how they shot me, you know, the officer. They even have the technology.")
- topfinish: transcript block 2555.92 ("Any questions? Nope. Okay. Just a comment so you guys know. Apparently, everything before I walked up there and push that button again didn't have voice." )