Illinois Flock Camera Use Raises Privacy and Surveillance Concerns

Flock cameras, a type of automated license plate reader, are a common policing tool in Illinois and across the nation. Illinois residents want increased transparency and stronger safeguards, and a federal appeals court will hear arguments this month on whether the state’s use of these cameras violates the US Constitution.

Illinois residents are not the only ones with this concern. More than 50 cities and counties across the US have canceled or deactivated the cameras so far this year over privacy and data-sharing concerns.

Automatic license plate readers (“ALPR”) do not issue tickets. They photograph vehicles, capturing license plates and possibly the make, model, and color of the vehicle, along with the image’s location, date, and time. Police can then search the information during investigations or receive alerts when a license plate matches a vehicle on the “hot list”.

Flock Safety is the nation’s largest ALPR supplier, with more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states capturing more than 20 billion license plate scans each month. What started in Illinois as a response to expressway shootings has since expanded in purpose.

After US Postal worker Tamara Clayton was shot in 2019 while driving on Interstate 57, lawmakers authorized cameras on Cook County expressways to help the Illinois State Police investigate shootings. By the end of 2022, almost 300 cameras had been installed on every expressway within Cook County. Today, the Illinois State Police have at least 807 ALPR cameras statewide. The ALPR program in Illinois was set to expire in 2023, but lawmakers extended it through July 1, 2028. A 2025 audit by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office found Flock violated state law after U.S. Customs and Border Protection accessed Illinois license plate-reader data. Flock ascribed this error to a communication error.

While some argue the cameras provide public safety benefits, debates remain over how much information they collect, how long they store it, and who can access it. During a September 1 Joliet City Council meeting, residents asked for periodic reports showing how often police access Flock camera data and the purpose of each access. Police Chief Rob Brown said the department is updating its Flock policy, strengthening audits and considering posting reports to the public. Despite resident advocacy and privacy concerns, many opponents call for rejection of this surveillance system. Flock expansion raises questions about the appropriate limits of government surveillance.

For more information related to Illinois privacy legislation or Flock cameras, please contact the qualified attorneys at Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC.