LOCAL SURVEILLANCE · DEKALB COUNTY, ILLINOIS

DeKalb County

DeKalb's public records provide unusually detailed documentation of ALPR, body-camera, in-car video, real-time vehicle systems, drone policy, and networked evidence software.

MUNICIPALITIES

City and village research

DeKalbMunicipal dossier available

Additional municipalities can be added as records are contributed. An unlisted municipality should not be interpreted as having no surveillance technology.

DRONES

County and municipal UAS programs

DOCUMENTED

DeKalb County Sheriff: three drones

The SFY 2024 statewide drone report lists three Sheriff's Office drones and seven flights, including missing-person searches, fire assessment, crash documentation, and a suicidal-subject response.

DOCUMENTED

DeKalb Police: one drone

The same statewide report lists DeKalb Police as owning one drone. The city's current UAS policy was revised in March 2026.

DOCUMENTED POLICY

Sheriff UAS safeguards

The Sheriff's published UAS policy addresses statutory restrictions, facial-recognition use, prohibited random surveillance, weaponization, retention, annual reporting, and disclosure.

DOCUMENTED POLICY

City UAS safeguards

DeKalb Police policy 407.12 references the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, the Drones as First Responders Act, privacy rights, FAA requirements, and statutory exclusions for protected demonstrations from defined event categories.

PRIMARY SOURCES

UNRESOLVED

Not established by the published records.

  • Whether the 2026 Flock service replaces, integrates with, or operates alongside remaining Genetec fixed readers.
  • The current Flock camera count, locations, retention, sharing settings, authorized-user count, and audit results.
  • Which Axon Fusus modules and external video sources are configured, rather than merely licensed.
  • Current drone models, payloads, complete flight records, retention, and mutual-aid use.
  • Current Sheriff's Office ALPR contracts, policies, and network access.