Oswego village trustees are considering whether to make motorists who flee or try to flee from Oswego police officers pay a $750 administrative fee.

Oswego Police Chief Jason Bastin has recommended the village enact the fee to improve roadway safety. The $750 fee is based on the cost the police department incurs to investigate these cases.

In the last several years, the Oswego Police Department has seen an increase in the number of motorists fleeing and attempting to elude the police during traffic stops.

“It’s not unique to us,” Bastin told village trustees during their Jan. 20 Committee of the Whole meeting. “It’s happening in the region and across the state and really nationally.”

Since 2020, there have been 33 instances in which a motorist fled from Oswego police officers during the initiation of a traffic stop. That includes four instances in 2025, down from 12 cases the previous year.

“I don’t expect it to stay that low,” Bastin said in talking about last year’s drop in cases.

Bastin noted the police department has a restrictive pursuit policy to ensure the safety of the public. Since 2020, there have only been three pursuits initiated by Oswego police officers.

“Even though it means offenders get away, we are also not putting the public in danger by participating in a pursuit,” he said. “And a lot of times when we initiate a pursuit, the offender drives pretty recklessly, causing a danger to the public.”

The administrative fee would be on top of criminal charges against the offender, Bastin said.

“And hopefully that would deter that behavior,” he said.

Village trustee Karen Novy asked how the police department would define fleeing.

“What we’re looking for, what the statute looks for, is what are the actions of the driver,” Bastin said. “It could be the driver speeding up, beginning to drive erratically, changing lanes, doing that type of thing before it becomes a fleeing and eluding situation.”

The proposed rules are modeled after Naperville’s policy, Bastin said.

“I believe they were the originators of this,” he said. “I know Schaumburg also has something similar. I cannot tell you that it is real common. I would actually say it is not common, this administrative fee. But yes, there are other agencies that have this.”

That includes neighboring Plainfield. At the Dec. 15 Plainfield Village Board meeting, village trustees unanimously approved an ordinance assessing a $500 administrative fee to the registered owner of any vehicle that flees or attempts to flee from a Plainfield police officer.

Like Oswego’s proposed rules, the $500 fee is based on the average cost the police department incurs to investigate these cases.

“It’s not intended to be a penalty or a revenue generator,” Plainfield Police Commander Zach Zigterman told village trustees. “It’s only an attempting to recover a portion of the resources that are expended in connection with that criminal activity.”

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman was wondering how many residents versus nonresidents have been caught trying to flee Oswego police officers.

“I did not have that broken down,” Bastin said in replying to Kauffman. “I can get that information for you.”

Oswego village trustees are set to discuss the proposed administrative fee again at a future meeting.