Local law enforcement officials praise the devices — owned and operated by technology surveillance company Flock Safety — pointing to how they can help solve crimes. However, the technology has begun to appear more commonly in the news, both regionally and nationally, over surveillance and privacy concerns.
In Lake County, hundreds of the cameras are dotted along busy streets and highway exits. The equipment — black cameras, powered by a small solar panel, sitting on poles along roadways — isn’t hidden, but it’s hard to imagine that most drivers pay them much attention.
On the flip side, however, anyone who has driven in Lake County has almost certainly been spotted by this expansive network. While an exact number isn’t readily available, a Lake County Sheriff’s Office release from 2024 said there were more than 260 ALPRs in the county, and Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said there are likely hundreds more today.
Between municipalities named by Lake County, previous reporting and data from the Atlas of Surveillance, a project maintained by the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, there are at least 24 local municipalities or law enforcement agencies that use Flock Safety cameras.
PRIVACY
According to Covelli, the Sheriff’s Office Flock devices take photos of license plates and vehicles, with images stored for 30 days in Flock’s database.Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, described ALPRs as “really powerful surveillance tools” with the potential to gather information about anyone.
“If you know, for example, that a person on Wednesday nights goes to church, that may tell you a lot about them,” Yohnka said. “If you know that I go to a union meeting, that may tell you something else. Those things reveal information about any of us.”
He compared it to the use of tracking devices, which require a warrant for police use. But the cameras can do the tracking without that kind of time or personnel investment. Yohnka worries about the potential for malicious use of the technology.
“It’s a tale as old as time — stories about law enforcement officers who have used access to certain databases to check on a former love interest,” Yohnka said.
Municipalities need to understand upfront what they are utilizing the technology for, he said, such as for violent crime and reports of crime, and make sure no one can access the data unless investigating such instances. Communities should also regularly review the value of the technology.
Adam Schwartz of the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned of their potential to be used to threaten free speech and privacy, such as by tracking who goes to protests, mosques or certain shows.
He also raised concerns over potential mistakes, such as misreading plates, escalating a situation and endangering people.
The pooling of such data is a “dangerous” tech and business model, posing numerous risks, Schwartz argued. Beyond the misuse by an individual, he said, such data could be enticing to powerful outside groups.
“Every day there’s news of a data breach,” Schwartz said. “The most sophisticated agencies in the world are getting hacked. When you sit on that much data, people are going to want to steal it. Not just some nerd in a basement in pajamas, it’s nation states with infinite resources trying to steal information from the United States.”
Flock’s website is adamant that its cloud platform has never experienced a data breach or been hacked.
Yohnka pointed to news from last summer in Illinois for the potential misuse of the technology. In August, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said U.S. Customs and Border Protection was able to access Illinois license plate camera data, violating the Illinois TRUST Act.
In Evanston, the news prompted the city to take down its Flock cameras. Flock previously disputed that it broke the law.
“Flock does not own or control access to customer data,” a spokesperson previously said in an email. “Agencies are in complete control of who can access their system, what sharing permissions (if any) they grant, and under what conditions they share that data.
“Cities can choose the data sharing relationships that are in compliance with their local laws and policies, and align with their community’s values,” the email continued. “We are continuously enhancing those capabilities to ensure they are as easy and seamless as possible for our end users.”
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said there were some concerns last year regarding the use of Lake County Flock data by federal agencies, but the board had been assured that wasn’t an issue in the county.
According to Covelli, for the Sheriff’s Office’s Flock cameras at least, access is only allowed by in-state local law enforcement officials who “affirm they are not using it for any sort of reproductive health or immigration reason.” No data is shared with out-of-state or federal agencies, he said, and county officials do not “share any information that is prohibited by law.”
While the Sheriff’s Office purchased 15 cameras back in 2024, only three are currently installed and operating, Covelli said. This is far below the numbers seen in other municipalities, although Covelli said there were plans to install more.
He praised the devices, pointing to various incidents where the technology was utilized successfully.
“Our use of Flock fully complies with Illinois state law and is governed by clear policies, limited access, and auditing to ensure accountability,” he said in a statement. “The Flock network captures images of vehicles and license plates, not people, and has helped us on dozens of occasions to solve violent crimes, locate missing endangered individuals, recover stolen vehicles, and hold offenders accountable.
“When used responsibly, Flock is a significant asset to the community,” Covelli said.
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