Berwyn council refers Flock license-plate-reader issue to Police & Fire Commission after heated public comment
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Summary
Residents and advocacy groups urged immediate suspension of the Flock license-plate-reader contract, alleging data-sharing with federal agencies; the council voted to refer a resolution to the Police & Fire Commission and deputy police leadership said sharing would be turned off pending review.
Berwyn — A wave of public comment on Nov. 12 pressed Berwyn officials to suspend and cancel the city's contract with Flock Group, the vendor that provides license-plate-reader (ALPR) technology.
Multiple speakers described the contract as a privacy and civil-rights concern and alleged that Flock had shared data with federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "Flock has already admitted to sharing the data," one resident told the council, and other speakers said the cameras were terrorizing immigrant families and harming trust in the community.
Council members discussed the legal and operational consequences of termination. The deputy police chief told the meeting that the department would turn off external sharing of Flock data immediately, and some aldermen demanded an audit of past searches of Berwyn data.
A motion to defer a resolution directing staff to immediately deactivate and suspend Flock cameras and terminate the contract was referred to the Police & Fire Commission for investigation and evaluation; the clerk recorded individual roll-call votes in the minutes. Council members said the referral would allow the commission to review whether termination or an RFP for a replacement system is appropriate and to examine any data-sharing history.
Supporters of ending the contract cited actions taken by nearby municipalities and court rulings raising public-record and transparency questions about ALPR footage; opponents or cautious members said legal review is needed because of contract obligations and public-safety considerations.
What’s next: The Police & Fire Commission will review the contract, any audits of past searches and options for suspension or termination. Police leadership has said it will end data-sharing immediately; the council requested a detailed audit to be presented to the committee overseeing the matter.