Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Transparency’ Category

Illinois suburbs halt Flock use, suspend officers and review policy amid alleged improper use

Posted in Big Brother, Chicago Sun*Times, Deception, Ethics, Flock Cameras, Politics, Property Taxes, Taxes, TMI, Transparency, Unions, Village Government, WTF on September 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Homer Glen announced Monday that it was suspending the use of Flock cameras within its borders pending an investigation after a Will County sheriff’s deputy was placed on administrative leave amid allegations he misused the database of license plate-tracking data.

By Violet Miller | Chicago Sun*Times

Several suburban municipalities are reviewing the use of Flock cameras and placing police officers on leave amid a growing epidemic of alleged police abuse of the vast surveillance system.

Homer Glen announced Monday that it was suspending the use of Flock cameras within its borders “pending final determination of the investigation and review of the Sheriff’s ALPR protocol” after a Will County sheriff’s deputy was placed on administrative leave amid allegations he misused the technology.

“The Village understands that the investigation has to take its course and remains committed to public safety,” it wrote in a statement Monday. “However, given the limited information that has been reported to date, and the privacy concerns at issue, the Village has suspended the utilization of Flock ALPR cameras located within the Village of Homer Glen, pending final determination of the investigation and review of the Sheriff’s ALPR protocol.”

West Chicago is also reviewing its use of Flock cameras after officials announced Tuesday that city police officers may performed unauthorized searches between late 2024 and early 2025 using the technology. The Channahon Police Department is also making a similar review after an investigation found that its officers may have also made unauthorized searches. Officers accused of wrongdoing in each case were placed on administrative leave.

At West Chicago’s request, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office is investigating alongside an internal inquiry into the officer’s conduct and a review of the safeguards around use of the system, according to a statement from the city.

“[West Chicago] recognizes the broader public concern surrounding the use of automated license plate readers,” the city said in a statement. “These tools have provided important public safety benefits, but their use must be balanced with appropriate safeguards, clear policies, meaningful oversight, and accountability.”

Report continues here.

Read Full Post »

Chicago-area police officers investigated for misusing Flock camera searches for personal use

Posted in ABC7 Chicago, Big Brother, Clown Car, Ethics, Flock Cameras, Police Reports, Privacy, Public Safety, Transparency on August 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Mark Rivera and Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel and Tom Jones | ABC7

Amidst growing outcry and mounting privacy concerns over misuse of powerful police surveillance technology, the ABC7 I-Team found multiple Chicago-area law enforcement agencies are now investigating their own officers for unauthorized use of the location tracking software.

From tracking ex-romantic partners to searching a former employer, at least two agencies have now forwarded cases of their officers misusing Flock Safety license plate reading technology to county prosecutors for review of possible criminal charges.

The I-Team filed 130 public records requests with local law enforcement agencies across Illinois and Indiana for internal investigation reports into misuse of FLOCK automated license plate reading (ALPR) cameras and others that can track a person’s location in real time.

Responses are continuing to come in but have already revealed cases of misuse.

In Prairie Grove, Police Chief Michael Goins said he discovered one of his officers had conducted hundreds of Flock camera searches, but not for any official purpose.

Goins said Officer William Copp was searching “ex-spouses, ex-girlfriends, ex-boyfriends of current girlfriends, people that had some sort of domestic relationship with him… One individual was searched approximately 140 times.”

Goins said he acted quickly and Copp was arrested and charged in McHenry County with official misconduct.

Prairie Grove is not alone.

The I-Team found at least 10 examples of local area law enforcement agencies investigating their own officers for misusing Flock and other license plate reading technology.

Report continues here.

Related: Some recent Daily Herald reports-

Read Full Post »

‘Not 1984’: Flock cameras watching millions of Americans spark bipartisan revolt

Posted in AI, Big Brother, Cell Towers, Clown Car, Data Center, Deception, Flock Cameras, Fox News, One Barrington Hills, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Transparency, VBHPD on August 26, 2026| 1 Comment »

A pigeon perches on a Flock Safety camera, mounted high on a traffic signal pole at the intersection of Chapman Avenue & Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove, Calif., on Aug. 14, 2026. | Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

By Elizabeth Elkind, Alex Miller | Fox News

There’s a new frontier in the national privacy debate that’s uniting people on the right and left, and it’s a tool that millions of Americans encounter every day without even realizing it.

Automatic license plate reader (ALPR) companies have been brought under scrutiny by lawmakers in Washington as privacy hawks warn that the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is testing the bounds of what ALPR devices can legally learn about drivers on the road.

One company in particular, Flock Safety, has been taking hits in the media and political sphere as news of Flock cameras’ misuse — and occasional success — dominates headlines.

“There’s cameras everywhere, people know that, but if law enforcement has the ability to monitor the comings and goings of citizens, I think that’s wrong. I mean, we’re not the CCP, we’re not 1984 and an Orwellian society, and Americans have rights,” Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS ARE TRACKING DRIVERS EVERYWHERE

He pointed to a recent incident in his district where a now-former Sarasota police officer was fired and arrested after being accused of misusing Flock camera technology, using it to spy on one particular license plate over 300 times.

FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS NEED CONSTITUTIONAL GUARDRAILS BEFORE FURTHER DEPLOYMENT, TENNESSEE MAYOR ARGUES

“I don’t think you’re gonna be able to stop these cameras from being out there, but at the very least, there should be some type of legal parameters put in place to protect people’s Fourth Amendment rights,” he said.

ALPRs automatically capture and analyze vehicle and location data on public roads without drivers’ consent. Supporters have argued that it’s a critical tool for public safety that only collects minimal information, while opponents labeled it an alarming expansion of the mass surveillance state.

LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS AT HOME DEPOT AND LOWE’S SPARK PRIVACY FEARS

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, “These cameras are well beyond an automated license plate reader today. AI has made them so capable that they are now capable of facial recognition, of seeing what you’re doing inside your car. So it’s well beyond the license plate reader…that’s the problem. Technology has moved these beyond just looking at the back of a car.”

On the other side of the aisle, a spokesperson for progressive Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., pointed Fox News Digital to her recent comments responding to news that Flock was updating its oversight standards. Ramirez wrote on X, “Private tech companies have amassed record-breaking profits off our pain and the use of technology for mass surveillance is a threat to our democracy, civil liberties, and privacy. Congress must stop the ever-expanding surveillance state.”

The debate even exploded onto the campaign trail ahead of November’s midterm elections, where ALPRs join AI data centers as Big Tech’s big boogeymen.

Article continues here.

Read Full Post »

Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Big Red, Board of Health, Building Department, Clown Car, Economy, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Finance Committee, Flock Cameras, Heritage and Environs Committee, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lennie, One Barrington Hills, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on August 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

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

The only item of significance on their agenda appears to be recognition of William Walsh for 33 years of service. A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

Read Full Post »

It’s already election time for candidates running for office in 2027

Posted in Appointments, Barrington Area Library, Barrington Hills Park District, Board of Elections, Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Ethics, Fundraisers, Illinois State Board of Elections, League of Women Voters, Look For The Union Label, One Barrington Hills, Politics, Resident Spotlights, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, School Districts, SOS Party, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unite Barrington Hills, Village Board, Your Barrington Hills on August 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Believe it or not, candidates running in the Consolidated April 2027 Election may begin their petition circulation next week. According to records we found in a search of the Cook County Clerk’s Office (not always up to date), the terms of these elected officials will be ending:

Village of Barrington Hills

  • Jessica Hoffmann
  • John Carpenter Clarke
  • Marsha McClary

CUSD 220 Board of Education

  • Barry Altshuler, Vice President
  • Diana L. Clopton, Secretary
  • Leah Collister-Lazzari

Barrington Hills Park District/Riding Club

  • Jill Zubak, Vice President
  • Steven E. Allen, Secretary
  • 3rd seat undefined from available records

Barrington Area Library

  • Jennifer J. Lucas
  • Anne Ordway

Harper Community College

  • Dr. Tricia Elliott (Appointed 8.19.26 to replace William Kelley)
  • Nancy N. Robb, Secretary
  • Diane G. Hill

To our knowledge, no one has declared their candidacy for any of these seats. However, it would be decent of those listed above to communicate their intentions sooner than later.

Those considering running for office are encouraged to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections for guidance on getting started if they’ve not already.

Source: Cook County Clerk’s Office

Read Full Post »

District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Clown Car, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, The New Normal?, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

CUSD 220 Board members Barry “Dr. No” Altshuler and Leah “Honey Bunny” Collister-Lazzari were found to have violated board policies last month in their 2023 campaigns for their board seats. Earlier this year, the Board also twice determined member Erin Chan Ding violated board policies as a result of her 2025 campaign. Who’s next?

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Personnel Report
  • Consideration to Approve Second Reading of Board Policy: 2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure
  • Consideration to Approve BSEO Contract
  • Consideration to Approve the Release of Confidentiality of Closed Session Minutes: July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025
  • Consideration to Approve the Destruction of Verbatim Recordings: January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023
  • Consideration to Approve Terms of IGA for Proposed Village of South Barrington Higgins Corridor TIF District
  • Intentional Use of Technology
  • 2026-27 Tentative Budget
  • First Reading of Board Policy
    • 2:105 Ethics and Gift Ban
    • 8:25 Advertising and Distributing Materials in Schools Provided by Non-School Related Entities
  • Proposed Village of South Barrington Higgins Corridor TIF District

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “District 220 board members violated campaign policies, investigation finds,” “Proposed Policy Change Would Strip Anonymous Formal Grievances in Barrington District 220,” “Reminder: CUSD 220 Board of Education meeting tonight,” “CUSD 220 Board delivers second (slappier) slap on the wrist to member Erin Chan Ding,” “CUSD 220 Board of Education public comments we applaud,” “Special District 220 Board of Education meeting Monday,” “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency” and “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’”

 

 

Read Full Post »

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”

Read Full Post »

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”

Read Full Post »

Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Cult) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Countryside Elementary School, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions on August 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Donation by Jenny Drecol Kalaway Cup to replace the BHPD bleachers
  • Conservation Gathering with Trail Ride, Oct. 24

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »