Berwyn committee opens investigation into Flock camera contracts and data practices

Berwyn's committee convened at 6 p.m. and set a step-by-step investigation into contracts and data practices related to Flock camera technology, the chair (Speaker 2) said. The committee directed staff to begin with a legal review of existing contracts, then hear from the Berwyn Police Department, the Flock vendor and the Office of the Secretary of State to determine whether any statutory or contractual violations occurred and what remedies the city might pursue.

The chair said the committee's first task is to gather facts from legal counsel about the city's obligations and exit options under current agreements. "We need to look at the contracts to see exactly what they say," Speaker 2 said. Committee members agreed each meeting will build on prior findings and that the legal session will shape questions for police and the vendor.

Speaker 4, who had urged involving outside auditors, pressed that the investigation should focus on whether Flock violated state law or breached contracts. "This is about getting the facts of if Flock broke any laws, if they broke our contract," Speaker 4 said. The committee discussed contacting the Office of the Secretary of State for its auditing and legal expertise; Speaker 4 offered to connect the committee to a contact there.

The committee set a tentative follow-up meeting with legal counsel for March 3 at 6 p.m. and agreed to invite the Secretary of State's office and other witnesses as the legal review identifies outstanding technical or compliance questions. "Once we see all the contracts and have an idea of what's what, then maybe the state or the company will help fill in the rest," Speaker 2 said.

During an open forum, residents and attendees made multiple public comments. Speaker 5 accused city leaders and parts of the police department of racial bias and alleged earlier contracting decisions allowed private gain from public TIF funds, saying an individual named Eddie Garcia had profited and that contracts lacked clauses preventing quick resale. "They sold that information. It should be terminated," Speaker 5 said, urging the city to include contractual stipulations barring resale and to investigate whether any local officials had received money from the vendor.

Another commenter, Speaker 6, urged the committee to move quickly because of the possibility that Flock-derived data could already be in use by enforcement agencies. "I don't want this to get dragged out too long because I think it will put us in a very bad spot," Speaker 6 said, calling for prompt review and noting two lines of inquiry: whether legal/contractual violations occurred and, separately, what replacement technologies or practices the police would need.

Committee members noted Mayor's prior administrative steps: Speaker 1 said the mayor had suspended sharing through the Flock system pending review. The committee emphasized it will distinguish discussion from formal action: members said they are gathering evidence and not yet making a policy determination on continued use of the technology.

Before adjourning, the chair moved to close the meeting; a voice vote was taken and the motion carried. The committee scheduled follow-up sessions to hear from legal counsel and other witnesses and said future meetings will be used to develop targeted questions based on evidence gathered.