Police chief outlines response to state audit of license‑plate reader vendor

Sugar Grove — Police Chief Rollins briefed the Village Board on recent state-level scrutiny of a license-plate-reader vendor and the implications for the village’s system and data-sharing agreements.

Trustees asked whether the village’s cameras and data-sharing arrangements were affected after media reports that the Illinois Secretary of State had ordered the vendor to stop sharing certain state data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Rollins said the vendor had participated in a pilot program with federal partners that was not authorized for unrestricted sharing; he said the vendor has committed to stop that pilot program. Rollins said the village’s stored data remains under local control and that law-enforcement access agreements are governed by Illinois rules. He noted other agencies in Illinois had deactivated cameras while the vendor and state clarified compliance; Rollins said his understanding was that vendor and local agencies were working to ensure systems conform to Illinois law and that the village’s agreements limit what is shared externally.

Trustees asked whether the village’s stored data could be accessed by out-of-state partners. Rollins said local data custody and sharing agreements determine access and that the village only shares with authorized partners under Illinois law and specific agreements. He acknowledged the situation was evolving and said the vendor had committed to address the issues raised by the state audit; trustees thanked the chief for monitoring the matter.

The board did not take formal action at the meeting; the chief said he would continue to monitor vendor communications and review data-sharing agreements for compliance.