Glasgow Donates $5,000 to Bolingbrook Police Department for License Plate Recognition Devices to Help Catch Carjackers

State’s Attorney Glasgow speaking at the awards event, with Chief Rompa.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has donated $5,000 to the Bolingbrook Police Department for the purchase of two automated license plate recognition devices that play a vital role in helping catch vehicle hijackers and other violent criminals. Glasgow presented the check Tuesday to Police Chief Mike Rompa during the Police Department’s Award Ceremony at the Bolingbrook Country Club. Glasgow has now donated $63,000 to the countywide safety initiative. Along with donations from local businesses and other community partners who have joined this initiative, $110,500 has been contributed to communities throughout Will County to deploy these special video cameras which help prevent crime and catch criminals.

Glasgow and Bolingbrook Police Chief Rompa

The high-tech cameras help law enforcement proactively prevent crime by sending real-time alerts when a stolen car or known wanted suspect from a national crime database enters the jurisdiction. When any type of disturbance or crime is reported, a review of the camera data can yield the license plate or plates–not people or faces–of those responsible.

“We have all seen the rise in carjackings as well as in criminals trying to evade police. These cameras already have led to the arrest of criminals who came to Will County after committing carjackings in Chicago,” Glasgow said. “This countywide safety initiative is already helping keep communities in Will County safe, and I will continue providing these license plate recognition cameras to make sure that dangerous vehicle hijackers and other violent criminals who come into this County from Chicago and Cook County ‘Will’ be apprehended and prosecuted.”

: (left to right): Police Chaplain Elmer Harris, Chief Rompa, State’s Attorney Glasgow, Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, and Bolingbrook Village Trustee Michael Carpanzano.

License plate recognition cameras played a vital role in the apprehension of Jordan Henry, a violent convicted felon who hijacked a vehicle on Diversey Parkway in Chicago and was captured in Will County.

“With these high-tech cameras, law enforcement was able to identify a vehicle matching the description of the Volkswagen Jetta hijacked by Henry being driven on I-94,” Glasgow said. “Henry led police on a high-speed pursuit that ended on just off I-55 South in Shorewood, Will County. We prosecuted him in Will County, and this dangerous criminal received a 22-year prison sentence.”

The license plate recognition cameras allow police to search by vehicle make, color, type, and license plate; identify the state of the license plate; and capture temporary plates. These cameras also capture vehicles with a missing, covered or paper plate, unique vehicle details like roof racks and bumper stickers, and even vehicles without plates.

Glasgow provides the contributions for the cameras entirely with money forfeited from criminals, without any taxpayer dollars used. In addition to the Bolingbrook contribution, has donated the costs of Flock cameras for Braidwood, Channahon, Shorewood, Lewis University, Beecher, Elwood, Homer Glen, Manhattan, Mokena, Wilmington, and Steger.