Security cameras slated for Elburn Metra station

Police say new security cameras at Elburn's Metra station should ward off mischief and give travelers some peace of mind.

About nine cameras are slated to be installed by the end of November, giving police around-the-clock views of the station's platform, pay kiosk, warming house and parking areas.

"It will be a wireless feed from the Metra facility to the police department," Elburn Police Chief Steven Smith said Thursday. "We're not necessarily going to have someone watching it at all times, but if something were to happen we'd hopefully have some recording."

The installation is expected to coincide with completion of the village's parking lot expansion project at the train station on the 400 block of East Railroad Street.

Smith said an access road to the parking lot is one area of particular concern because it's "off the beaten path" and travelers often wait there for rides.

"We haven't had a lot of problems," other than a couple reports of minor vandalism and vehicle burglaries, Smith said. "But maybe this will deter somebody from doing something they shouldn't."

Under the village's agreement with Metra, Smith said, local police are responsible for law enforcement at the station and its parking areas, so the cameras are a village expense.

Assistant Village Administrator David Morrison said the $8,900 security system is being funded by a grant through the Illinois Commerce Commission. Elburn's public safety committee approved the measure this week and no further approval is required, he said.

"It's grant-funded and within budget," Morrison said.