Bartlett delays decision on renewal of Flock camera contract

Bartlett officials have postponed a decision on whether to renew one of the village’s Flock camera contracts amid concerns about adding more devices.

Village board members were supposed to vote Tuesday on a proposed one-year extension of the deal for seven of Bartlett’s 15 automated license plate readers. The contracts for the remaining devices expire later.

As part of the proposed contract extension, Atlanta-based Flock was supposed to install five additional license plate readers in the village.

However, the final vote was delayed until Sept. 15 so the entire deal under consideration could be reworked based on feedback from trustees.

“There doesn’t seem to be an appetite for the five new ones with the board,” Village Administrator Paula Schumacher said on Friday.

As a result, the expected $65,500 cost of extending the contract for another year will change to a lower amount that still is being calculated.

But even if a majority of trustees vote against the contract, the controversial surveillance devices wouldn’t vanish from Bartlett overnight.

The village still has eight cameras that are tied to contracts with different expiration dates.

The possible modification of Bartlett’s contract comes two weeks after some residents and trustees raised concerns about the use of the cameras.

During that board meeting, Bartlett Police Chief Ryan Conway said the cameras in the village have been effective and haven’t been used inappropriately.

In recent weeks, there have been specific cases of officer misuse of Flock camera data in other suburbs such as Itasca, Bloomingdale and Prairie Grove.

This month, officials in Mundelein and Rolling Meadows voiced concerns about the potential abuse of the cameras’ data.

However, Conway stands by Bartlett’s ability to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on misuse of its Flock camera data. He said the department is currently 100% compliant with its audits and the requirements governing the proper use of data.

“We recognize the concerns that have been raised about this technology, and we believe those concerns deserve thoughtful discussion,” Conway said in a statement Friday.

He said the police department’s responsibility is to demonstrate that the technology can be used effectively while maintaining appropriate oversight and accountability.

“We will continue to evaluate our program, strengthen our safeguards when necessary and ensure its use remains focused on legitimate public-safety purposes,” Conway said.

Village President Dan Gunsteen said on Friday that whatever associations residents may have with the company name, he has faith in the Bartlett Police Department’s ability to deliver on Conway’s promise.

He said many other departments appear to be only starting to perform internal audits of their data usage. Bartlett has been doing that all along, he said.

“I do not feel influenced by what’s happening in other towns because I know the checks and balances and ethics of the Bartlett Police Department are of the highest standard,” Gunsteen said.

Funding for Bartlett’s cameras comes exclusively from equitable sharing funds, which are the police department’s share of cash, vehicles and property seized during the enforcement of federal crimes.

epeterson@dailyherald.com