On May 31, 2023, at approximately 11:23 am, the Rantoul Police Department was alerted by Flock ALPR cameras of a vehicle associated with a missing person. Further investigation indicated the vehicle was believed to be involved with a parental abduction from Shelby County, Tennessee. Officers were able to locate the vehicle in the 700 block of West Champaign Ave., Rantoul. Officers located the occupants of the vehicle, one adult female and two juveniles, and learned one of the juveniles was reported as missing/endangered to the Memphis, TN police department on the morning of 05/31/23.
Upon further investigation, Shirley L. Webb, a 27-year-old female from Memphis Tennessee was arrested on a Shelby County, Tennessee Arrest Warrant for the offense of Felony Custodial Interference. Webb was later transported to the Champaign County Jail. Both juveniles were taken into protective custody until the custodial parent arrived, at which time they were reunited with family.
On November 7, 2022 at approximately 00:51 hours, the Rantoul Police Department was dispatched for multiple reports of shots heard in the area of the 800 block of St. Andrews Circle, Rantoul. Witnesses reported seeing a white SUV leaving the area at a high rate of speed after the reported shots. At approximately 01:13 hours, while officers were still checking the area, a resident in the 800 block of St. Andrews Circle called to report his residence had been struck by gunfire. Officers located evidence, including shell casings, in the area of the victims apartment.
Rantoul police officers searched images from nearby Flock Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and located a possible suspect vehicle. Using this Flock ALPR information, officers located the suspect vehicle, heavily damaged, in the 1400 block of Harper Dr., Rantoul. Visible inside the damaged vehicle was an AR-15 style rifle.
At approximately 02:00 hours, Rantoul police officers were advised a subject had been brought to a local hospital Emergency Department, via private vehicle, with injuries from a vehicle accident. Investigation revealed this subject was affiliated with the vehicle that was observed on the Flock ALPR, and was later located in the 1400 blk of Harper Dr.
As a result of the investigation, Rantoul Police arrested two individuals for weapon-related offenses.
On October 1, 2022, at approximately 6:15 PM, Flock ALPRS alerted officers to a possible stolen vehicle within the Village of Rantoul. Officers located this vehicle and confirmed it had been in fact reported stolen from Urbana, Illinois. As a result of this alert, one adult was arrested for the offense of Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.
On September 26, 2022, at approximately 11:47 AM, officers were alerted to a possible stolen vehicle entering the village of Rantoul by Flock ALPRs. Officers were able to locate this vehicle within the Village of Rantoul and confirmed this as a stolen vehicle from Champaign, Illinois. At 11:52 AM, officers successfully stopped this vehicle and one subject was taken into custody and transported to the Champaign County Jail for the offense of Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle.
On July 25, 2022, an arrest was made in connection to a homicide that occurred in Rantoul on April 12, 2022. Rantoul Police Detectives used Flock ALPR images to identify a vehicle possibly involved in the homicide. Using this information, detectives were able to confirm the identity of a suspect. After additional follow-up and interviews, a warrant was obtained for the suspect, who was later taken into custody without incident.
On May 24, 2022, the Rantoul Fire Department and Rantoul Police Department responded to a structure fire in the 1600 block of Gleason Dr. This was the third fire reported at this residence, which was already uninhabitable due to the previous two fires. All of these fires were deemed suspicious in nature. Rantoul Police Detectives were able to identify a possible suspect in these arsons. Detectives were able to locate Flock ALPR images of a rental vehicle which had been rented by the suspect, in the area of the fire and at the same time frame as the fire. The suspect, who is not from the area, was ultimately arrested for multiple arsons in the Champaign County area over a period of months.
On 06/17/22 Rantoul Officers took a report of a home invasion in which the suspect had already fled the scene. Rantoul officers obtained vehicle information for the suspect and entered the information into a Custom Hotlist on the Flock safety portal. On 06/20/22, the suspect vehicle passed by one of RPDs Flock cameras, activating the Hotlist alert. Based on this Hotlist alert, Rantoul officers were able to locate the suspect vehicle and arrest the suspect for the previous home invasion.
On 6/14/2022, Officers used the Flock ALPR system to search for a vehicle reported stolen the previous evening. Officers located a recent image of the stolen vehicle on a Flock camera and were able to locate the vehicle nearby. As a result, an offender was located and arrested, and the vehicle was returned to its owner.
