highway video cameras

Illinois Law Creates Camera Program To Investigate Expressway Shootings in Chicago

Following a rise in expressway violence, law enforcement will add about 35 cameras to look into shootings that are notoriously difficult to solve.

A new Illinois law named in honor of a woman fatally shot on an expressway will give Chicago-area law enforcement officers the authority to create a camera program to investigate expressway shootings.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act into law on July 12 after it received unanimous support in both chambers of the state legislature. Now, the state police force, department of transportation and toll highway authority will come together to work out the details of the program, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Although the Illinois state police have tried to combat expressway violence in recent years, they have made only 12 arrests in connection with 179 reported expressway shootings in the Chicago area, according to the Tribune.

Thaddeus Jones, a state representative who led the movement to pass the law, said in April that the program would cover 35 cameras in Cook County for a cost of about $500,000 and would only be used to investigate expressway shootings and not “petty offenses."

The transportation department already operates around 275 cameras in the area for “traffic management purposes,” spokesman Guy Tridgell told the newspaper. But those cameras do not record footage due to funding constraints and the system’s capabilities, instead sending a live feed to the department’s communications center for traffic monitoring.

Gun violence activist Andrew Holmes told the Tribune that he and other proponents of the law want future expressway cameras to have the capability of recording high-definition footage and identify license plates.

“We have to update the quality and the technology to help [police] and save lives and let [offenders] know that your Big Brother is always watching,” Holmes said.

State senator Jacqueline Collins of Chicago, who sponsored the bill, said more cameras on the expressway will help combat shootings.

“I think the culprits believe there’s no way to trace who is committing the crime and they see [expressway shootings] as a way of avoiding the penalties of the gun violence,” Collins told the paper. “We have to have ears and eyes throughout the city, the state, in reference to those individuals…who want to perpetuate violence on our citizens.”

Clayton’s sister, Alma Hill, said she was pleased that the legislation was approved and signed into law so quickly, according to the Tribune. Clayton’s killing, which took place on Feb. 4 while she was driving to work, remains unsolved.

“I just want to identify the people who are wreaking havoc on the expressways, and I want them to understand... that [police] see them and they are going to have some accountability,” Hill said.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.