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Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Board might be meeting tonight

Posted in Agendas, BCFPD, Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Jewel-Osco, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Resident Spotlights, Taxes, The New Normal?, Unions, WTF on August 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees should be meeting tonight at 6:30 PM at 22222 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington according to their website which  states, “Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month.”

No agenda is posted for the August meeting, and the last published agenda is for June. Furthermore, the last time they published an agenda in advance of their monthly meeting was back in April, so that’s four (4) Open Meetings Act violations (so far) this year.

For more information, the district website can be found here or call 224-848-4800.

Related: “Website posting requirements for local governments in Illinois”

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Surveillance company Flock moves to increase oversight after police misuse

Posted in AI, Big Brother, Ethics, NBC News, Police Reports, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions on August 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A Flock Safety camera mounted to a light pole on Aug. 3 in Beverly Hills, Calif. | Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

By Kevin Collier | NBC News

Flock Safety, the police tech company that tracks Americans’ vehicle movements through a line of cameras, announced Thursday that it would implement several new safeguards to its products.

The changes that Flock outlined include shrinking the period for how long it holds people’s movement data by default, going from one month to one week, the company said in a news release. In cases where an officer wants to hold data longer, they will be prompted to enter a case number.

To address potential police abuse of Flock’s data on people, the company also plans to fully deploy a system it began testing earlier this year, called Audit Assistance, that will lock out a user whose searches display “abnormal activity,” the release said.

A spokesperson told NBC News that the changes are meant to help address privacy concerns and to stem officer abuse of the cameras, which have prompted some cities to cancel their Flock contracts amid a national wave of vandalism against them. But the American Civil Liberties Union, a long-standing Flock critic, downplayed the new changes as minor.

“My biggest concern was and will continue to be that they are a mass surveillance company that collects billions and billions of license plate scans every month on people who have done nothing wrong,” said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the ACLU.

Flock makes a range of high-tech surveillance products but is best known for its nationwide fleet of automated license plate readers, pole-mounted cameras that log cars as they pass popular roads and intersections, creating a massive database of each car’s movement, license plate number, make and model, and time of travel.

While the system has been championed by many police forces, privacy concerns have grown. Law enforcement offices that contract with Flock do not need a warrant to access travel information and can opt to share their data with local law enforcement offices, statewide or nationwide, creating a database of Americans’ real-time movements accessible to a range of police officers that spans much of the country.

Report continues here.

Related: “Flock boss admits surveillance firm took too long to act over police abuse,” “Despite ‘New’ Updates, Flock’s Creepy Cameras Remain Major Civil Liberties Threat – ACLU,” “Public pushback to Flock cameras spark variety of government responses,” “Hundreds of police departments use camera company accused of breaking state law,” “Editorial: Do those multiplying license plate readers mean Big Brother is watching?,” “Privacy concerns raised over proliferation of license plate cameras”

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Flock camera map: How many are in your neighborhood?

Posted in AI, Big Brother, Data Center, Privacy, Public Safety, Transparency, WGN9 on August 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A Flock Safety camera is shown mounted to a light pole on August 03, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. | Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

By Spencer Gustafson, Alix Martichoux | WGN9 News

Flock Safety, a surveillance equipment company, says it partners with more than 5,000 law enforcement agency partners across 6,000 communities. Is your city one of them (answered here)?

The Flock cameras are solar-powered license plate readers that collect data as they record. Agencies that partner with Flock can then search the database for license plate numbers, car make and models, or identifying features like bumper stickers.

Proponents argue the cameras help law enforcement solve crimes, but critics say they data could be misused to track anyone, even those not accused of crimes, with little oversight.

“They’re just collecting data as an active surveillance system, and every car that passes through, the data is collected from that car license plate, using AI. They make a vehicle fingerprint of the car that includes distinguishing features, make, model, color, bumper stickers, roof racks, all these different things,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs in an interview with NewsNation.

“And then it’s retained for sometimes 30 days or more and then in a searchable database, which really turns the whole concept of a license plate reader on its head in that they’re not looking for one specific vehicle or specific vehicles. They’re just pulling everything in.”

Founder Garrett Langley said his surveillance equipment manufacturing company started out of frustration with crime rates in his home city of Atlanta.

“Crime felt too easy to get away with,” Langley said during a TED talk in April. “It didn’t make sense that you could steal someone’s car … or you could kill someone and have a 50 percent chance of getting away with it. … So I did what engineers do. I built a license plate-reading camera.”

How can I check the location of Flock cameras?

According to Flock, nearly 100,000 cameras are in place across more than 6,000 communities in 49 states. The company, however, doesn’t have a detailed list of camera locations publicly available.

That’s where DeFlock comes in. The organization says it wants to raise awareness about automatic license plate readers and “the threats it poses to personal privacy and civil liberties.”

DeFlock maintains a crowd-sourced map showing the alleged location of Flock cameras around the U.S. “Camera locations come from volunteers and the OpenStreetMap community, not a private company or government agency,” DeFlock says. Nexstar could not independently verify the camera locations.

You can zoom into the map below (ACTUALLY, to open the map below in a new tab, click here) to explore the reported locations of cameras in your neighborhood, according to DeFlock’s crowdsourced data.

The map includes cameras made by other tech companies, not just Flock.

Report continues along with video and survey here.

Related: “What are Flock cameras and where are they in the Chicago area? What to know”

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What are Flock cameras and where are they in the Chicago area? What to know

Posted in AI, Big Brother, News Media, Privacy, Public Safety, Transparency on August 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Flock camera/Shutterstock

By Alex Dvorak | NBC 5 Chicago

If you’ve heard about Flock cameras lately, you’re not alone.

The controversial technology has been at the center of debate in recent years, with some touting the technology and others questioning what it means for privacy.

The cameras have been the target of criticism from Illinois officials, but they remain present around numerous suburbs.

Here’s what to know:

What are Flock cameras?

Flock cameras are license plate readers operated by Flock Safety, the nation’s largest automated license plate reader system.

“Flock is designed to help authorized users find relevant evidence for investigations without compromising safety and compliance,” the company’s website states.

What is the debate over Flock?

Advocates of the system said it was designed to aid law enforcement by capturing vehicles on camera and using those images to help with investigations.

“We build technology that helps law enforcement, businesses, schools, and communities find relevant information, respond faster, and make better-informed decisions,” Flock’s website states.

But while the systems are touted as a tool for good, some question the privacy concerns surrounding such technology.

“Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are a powerful surveillance tool increasingly being purchased and deployed across many communities and on expressways across Illinois. It is clear that for-profit manufacturers and operators of these cameras systems are aggressively marketing them to law enforcement and elected officials as a means of reducing violent crime,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said in a statement earlier this year. “While some observers question the claim of reducing crime, there is little doubt that these cameras systems require careful attention to address privacy concerns. But many communities are deploying these systems without appropriate privacy policies or practices for protecting personal information.”

Those concerns came to a head last year when Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the camera company allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to access reader data in violation of state law.

Report continues here.

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PUBLIC NOTICE: Election for Park District (Riding Club) Commissioner-Candidate Filing Information

Posted in Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, Countryside Elementary School, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

PUBLIC NOTICE

Consolidated Election to be held April 6, 2027

To The Residents of The Barrington Hills Park District Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois

Elections will be held to fill the following office:  Park District Commissioner

Number of positions: Three (3)  

All positions are for a four-year term

The candidate services provided here will assist prospective candidates locate the information and forms required to run for office.

Information contained within this section is for informational purposes only. Candidates are advised to seek appropriate legal counsel for any campaign issues. 

Candidates must file their certificates of nomination with the Barrington Hills Park District designated representative.

Petition Circulation Period: August 25, 2026 – November 23, 2026. Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026

The filing of nomination petitions will be accepted at 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills IL 60010, in the Riding Center’s Meeting Room, November 16, 2026 through Monday November 23, 2026.  Office Hours will be posted here and on the online calendar.

Petitions may be filed in person by the candidate, a representative, or by mail to: Barrington Hills Park District, 364 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010. Nomination papers received in the mail before the first day of filing period will be returned to the sender as not filed.

Candidate’s Guide

Petition Documents:

Nonpartisan Petition Form (Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026)
Statement of Candidacy: Nonpartisan
Loyalty Oath (optional):
Statement of Economic Interests: Filed with the Cook County Clerk. See page 22 in the Candidate’s Guide regarding filing the receipt.
Fair Campaign Practices Act (voluntary): Filed with the State Board of Elections.,

Source

 

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South Barrington police nab 36 drivers for speeding

Posted in Public Safety, South Barrington on August 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Daily Herald report

The South Barrington Police Department’s July traffic safety enforcement campaign resulted in 36 speeding tickets, police announced Wednesday.

Additionally, three people were ticketed for not properly wearing seat belts, one was ticketed for driving with a suspended or revoked license and one was ticketed for distracted driving. One person was arrested on a warrant, too.

Departments across Illinois staged similar safety campaigns last month.

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National Night Out in Barrington tonight

Posted in Entertainment, Politics, Public Safety, Unions on August 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Bring the whole family for an unforgettable evening at Barrington’s National Night Out Thursday, Aug. 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.! This free community celebration is packed with exciting activities, interactive demonstrations, raffles and giveaways, delicious food and opportunities to connect with Barrington’s finest, the officers who serve our community every day.

This year’s event is bigger than ever, made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. Their commitment allows us to provide this evening free for residents. Please visit their booths during the event, thank them for their support and help us show our appreciation!

Event Sponsors:

From kids’ activities and interactive displays to RC car racing, bounce houses, safety demonstrations and delicious food, our sponsors have provided something for everyone. Whether you are meeting first responders, grabbing free roasted corn, taking a photo with Oliver, or simply enjoying a summer evening with neighbors, National Night Out is a celebration you will not want to miss.

Thank you to every sponsor, volunteer and community partner who helps make National Night Out one of Barrington’s favorite summer traditions. We cannot wait to see you there for an evening of fun, food, friendship and community spirit!

Parking Information:

Please plan ahead. Due to the event’s footprint, some roads and parking areas in downtown Barrington will be closed, including Cook and Station streets and the BMO parking lot. Free parking is available in the Barrington Metra Station lots after 5 p.m., along with on-street parking near the event. For additional parking options, visit the Village’s online parking map.”

Source: Village of Barrington

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Join National Night Out events in the suburbs

Posted in Daily Herald, Politics, Public Safety on August 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Harper Police Chief John Lawson at a previous National Night Out. The Harper College Police Department will be part of the Dundee Township National Night Out celebration in collaboration with police departments in Carpentersville, Sleepy Hollow, West Dundee and East Dundee on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Carpenter Park in Carpentersville. (Harper College)

By Kim Becker | Daily Herald

National Night Out is an annual event held on the first Tuesday in August, intended to bring communities together to enhance the public’s relationship with local police and emergency personnel while building neighborhood spirit. This year’s official date is Tuesday, Aug. 4, although some events take place in the surrounding week.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

Wauconda National Night Out: 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, on Main Street, between Bangs Street and Route 176, Wauconda. The village of Wauconda Police Department and other community organizations host a family night out featuring emergency and utility vehicles, games, food, raffles, prizes, music and more. Free. wauconda-il.gov.

Dundee Township National Night Out: 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Carpenter Park in Carpentersville. Features touch-a-trucks, emergency vehicles, drone demos, drunk-driving simulator, and local first responders, as well as family-friendly activities, inflatables, food vendors/trucks and community resource tables. Hosted by the Carpentersville, East Dundee, Sleepy Hollow and West Dundee police departments, as well as the Dundee Township Park District and Harper College. Free. facebook.com/villageofcarpentersvillepublicsafety/.

Algonquin National Night Out: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the historic village hall, 2 S. Main St. Meet police, fire, and public works personnel while enjoying K-9 demonstrations, safety displays, music, giveaways. algonquin.org.

Deer Park National Night Out: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Vehe Farm Park, 23570 Cuba Road, Deer Park. Free. villageofdeerpark.com

Hoffman Estates National Night Out: 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at new location, Fabbrini Park, 1704 Glen Lake Road, Hoffman Estates. Enjoy activities, meet local officers, explore police vehicles, learn about programs and more. Free. hoffmanestates.org

Wednesday, Aug. 5

Palatine National Night Out: 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Falcon Park Recreation Center, 2195 N. Hicks Road, Palatine. Entertainment, food trucks, live demonstrations, police cars, fire trucks and more. Free. palatineparks.org.

Thursday, Aug. 6

Barrington National Night Out: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at Cook and Station streets in downtown Barrington. Burgers, wood workshop for kids, bike helmet giveaways, games, prizes and more. Free. barrington-il.gov

Crystal Lake National Night Out: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, on Williams Street, between Brink Street and Crystal Lake Avenue. Features face painting, balloon artist, first responder vehicles, an opportunity to leave your handprint on a Crystal Lake Police squad car, live entertainment, and local vendors and community organizations. facebook.com/CrystalLakePD.

Cary National Night Out: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at Cary Municipal Center’s lower level parking area, 755 Georgetown Drive and the grounds of nearby Kaper Park. Police, fire, public works and township vehicles will be on display for guests to explore. Meet first responders and take a tour of the police department and village hall. There will be a police drone presentation, K9 presentation, and LifeNet will land a helicopter on-site. Fireworks and drone show at dusk. Visit caryillinois.com.

Find many more locations here.

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Editorial: What do Democratic socialists want? We took a look at their platform.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on July 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Democratic candidates Juliana Stratton and Maria Peterson | Photo courtesy Maria Peterson’s Facebook page

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Who doesn’t love a good wish list? Come dream with us right here.

First step, we abolish capitalism. Without that most ultimate of evils? No more bills. No more debt. We’re all carefree now.

That’s the basic premise of the Democratic Socialists of America’s vision. If you haven’t looked at the platform lately, we offer you the following condensed version.

In addition to abolishing capitalism (step one), the DSA proposes eliminating the Senate and the Electoral College, subordinating the presidency and Supreme Court to Congress, and placing major industries under public ownership.

Housing, health care and energy all become public goods.

Oh, and we don’t need defense or public safety, so we can defund the Pentagon and get rid of prisons. The lamb will live among the wolves and will not be bitten.

While it’s tempting to dismiss all of the above as fringe politics, that might be a dangerously cavalier approach for sensible Democrats. The DSA’s influence has grown inside the Democratic Party, and both Chicago and New York, no small burgs, are governed by mayors who openly identify with the movement.

Editorial continues here.

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Big Red, Board of Health, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Deception, Dumb and Dumber, ePacket agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Finance Committee, Folds of Honor, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lennie, OMA, One Barrington Hills, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Plum Farm development, Police Pension Board, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on July 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Accept the Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2025 – Eccezion
  • [Vote] Resolution Approving the 2026 Stormwater Management Program Plan (SMPP) and Authorizing its use for the Collection of Data Necessary to Prepare the Village’s Annual Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System(MS4) Report Resolution 26 –
  • Land We Love Run America250 5K/10K or 2-Mile Walk Summary

A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

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