Manhattan Renews Will County LPR Camera Agreement as Police Chief Highlights Crime-Solving Successes

Village of Manhattan Board of Trustees Meeting | April 7, 2026

Article Summary: The Village Board approved the renewal of an intergovernmental agreement to maintain two license plate reading cameras on county highways, as Police Chief Ryan Gulli emphasized their role in keeping Manhattan safe.

LPR Cameras Key Points:

• The Intergovernmental Agreement with the Will County Division of Transportation keeps two Flock cameras operational on county-maintained roads.

• The cameras are located at West Rose Street and CH 04, and on CH 17 east of Gougar Road.

• Chief Gulli credited the cameras with helping solve a tobacco shop burglary, disproving a false kidnapping report, and catching stolen vehicles.

The Manhattan Village Board on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, unanimously authorized the renewal of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Will County Division of Transportation to maintain the placement of two License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras on county highways.

The village previously received grants to fund the cameras, commonly known as Flock cameras, which capture the license plates of vehicles entering and exiting the municipality. One camera is positioned on the northeast corner of County Highway 04 and West Rose Street, while the second is on the south side of County Highway 17, approximately 510 feet east of Gougar Road.

Addressing the board, Police Chief Ryan Gulli acknowledged the privacy debates surrounding the technology but robustly defended their effectiveness and the department’s transparency regarding their use.

“Flock cameras are obviously a very controversial thing right now because of people’s beliefs in invasion of privacy, which are valid concerns,” Gulli said. “But number one, we’re probably one of the most transparent agencies in Illinois when it comes to Flock cameras. If you go on our village website… the transparency portal tells you exactly what our cameras are used for, and it tells you every public search we’ve done for license plates. They only read license plates, not face detection.”

Gulli outlined several specific local success stories directly attributed to the cameras. He noted that the LPR system caught the vehicle involved in a burglary at a local tobacco shop two years ago, leading to the apprehension of the offenders and an ongoing court prosecution. The cameras also recently helped police disprove an alleged kidnapping in the older section of town by tracking the described vehicle and corroborating witness statements.

“It doesn’t deter a crime; it tells us what happened so we can prosecute and bring the offenders before a judge and get the justice deserved by the victims,” Gulli explained, noting the system has also caught stolen vehicles passing through the village. “I’d just like to mention we’re the sixth safest town, and we have these devices, and it probably helps keep us the sixth safest town.”

Because the two cameras sit on county right-of-ways, the village requires Will County’s ongoing permission to keep them installed. Gulli noted that if the county does not approve the renewal, the village would have to pay approximately $750 to have them immediately removed.