Evanston police disable national Flock lookup, limit out-of-state sharing after misuse reports

The Evanston Police Department has disabled the national lookup function of its Flock Safety automatic license plate reader (ALPR) account and blocked out‑of‑state access to its data while the vendor works with Illinois officials, Chief Stewart said at the City Council meeting June 23.

The move is part of a set of administrative changes the department described to the council amid community concern that ALPR data could be used by out‑of‑state law enforcement to locate people seeking reproductive health care or immigration enforcement. Chief Stewart said the department will limit Flock data sharing to Illinois agencies, require written approval by both the police chief and the city manager before adding any new agency, and has disabled the platform’s national search tool.

The changes follow a departmental review after reports that a small number of agencies using Flock conducted searches that violated Illinois House Bill 3326, the state law governing ALPR use. Sergeant Tom Giese, who oversees ALPR operations for the Evanston Police Department, told the council the department has 18 stationary Flock cameras and one mobile unit and that the system has helped investigators identify vehicles and locate victims and suspects. “This ALPR system has proven instrumental in supporting public safety not only in Evanston, but nationwide,” Giese said.

Why it matters: Council members and several public commenters said they remain concerned that even limited sharing can cascade beyond the city and that municipal controls may not prevent federal subpoenas or other lawful demands for data. Public commenters urged the…