Bartlett community debates use of Flock cameras as village considers extending contract
Some Bartlett residents are urging the village to stop using Flock Safety automatic license plate readers as trustees consider whether to extend the police department’s contract with the Atlanta-based company.
Bartlett, which has been using Flock cameras for four years, is mulling whether to extend its pact with the company for at least another year. A vote on the extension could happen as soon as Sept. 1.
But on Tuesday, a group of 10 residents spoke out against the use of the license plate readers.
“Bartlett doesn’t feel any safer today than it did in 2024, than it did in 2022,” resident Keith Humphrey told the village board. “I don’t feel like you trust me because you constantly watch me.”
He suggested the village find another use for the $65,500 under consideration this year to keep its 15 existing cameras operating and add five more.
Bartlett Police Chief Ryan Conway said the technology has been effective in helping authorities solve crimes in the village, including a recent aggravated assault. He added that the department has strict safeguards against unconstitutional surveillance.
“I understand the concerns surrounding privacy,” Conway said. “I absolutely understand the concerns regarding misuse. I can assure you as the chief that any misuse of not just this technology, but any of our law enforcement-sensitive databases, will not be tolerated in this agency.”
Dan Murdock, a sales manager for Flock, explained the cameras only identify vehicles and don’t do facial recognition. Besides license plates, their data may include the make and model of a vehicle and other identifying features, such as bumper stickers and roof racks.
Murdock said the company initially did a poor job of explaining what the technology does. Flock is making a concerted effort to rectify past mistakes and rebuild trust, he added.
Last year, it was revealed that a sheriff’s office in Johnson County, Texas, accessed Mount Prospect’s Flock camera data without the village’s knowledge. The sheriff’s office in Texas was investigating an abortion case.
State law prohibits Illinois license plate reader data from being used for immigration enforcement or to track individuals seeking reproductive health care services.
Conway said Bartlett police also have rules for how Flock cameras should be used. Searching the database for reasons not tied to a criminal case number is a fireable offense, he said.
According to Conway, Bartlett has approved 32 requests from within Illinois to share camera data for the investigation of criminal cases and denied 290 requests from out-of-state agencies.
During a lengthy discussion Tuesday, some trustees echoed the concerns and skepticism raised by residents. However, the conversation ended without a clear direction ahead of the board’s Sept. 1 vote.
Officials noted that funding for the police department’s cameras does not come from village taxpayers. Instead, the money comes from equitable sharing funds, which are dollars local departments receive from the U.S. government for their role in seizing cash, vehicles and property tied to federal crimes.
epeterson@dailyherald.com