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Wheaton council approves 12-month extension for automated license-plate cameras funded by AG grant
Summary
The Wheaton City Council approved a one-year extension of a lease with Flock Safety for 44 automated license-plate reader cameras, funded by a $132,000 Illinois Attorney General grant. Residents voiced privacy concerns at the meeting; city staff said data is retained only for active investigations and deleted after 30 days when not used.
The Wheaton City Council on March 17 approved a 12-month extension of a lease with Flock Safety to operate 44 automated license-plate reader cameras, a program the city says will be paid for by a $132,000 grant from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
City Manager Dugan said the cameras have been in place since mid- to late 2023 and that the 12-month extension would be paid from the Attorney General grant. He told the council the police chief’s memorandum notes instances in which the cameras assisted investigations.
The extension drew public concern. Resident Thaddeus Kielch spoke against the cameras, saying they amounted to “a continual chipping away at being tracked in every aspect” and warned about data sharing with other jurisdictions. Kielch asked the council to reconsider using the cameras in neighborhoods.
City staff and police representatives responded to privacy questions by describing program limits. According to staff, the system takes photographic reads of license plates rather than continuous video of vehicles, and participating agencies can share data for specific investigations. Staff said data that is not tied to an active investigation is deleted after 30 days and is not recoverable.
A council member recounted a March 12, 2024, case in which law enforcement used the system to locate a missing 77-year-old man who was later found unharmed in another jurisdiction; the council member said that example illustrated the cameras’ public-safety uses beyond retail-theft investigations.
Council members asked for a refresher for residents on when and why the cameras are accessed and how data sharing works. Council approval was by recorded roll call.
The council’s authorization extends the existing lease with Flock Safety for one year, subject to funding from the attorney general grant. City staff said that if the grant funding ends, the council will need to reevaluate the program’s future.
