Trustees raise privacy concerns over Flock camera network, ask staff for reevaluation

Trustees on March 9 pressed village staff for a review of the Flock camera program after national reporting and a February class-action lawsuit raised concerns about misuse and third‑party access.

One trustee said the concern is not just local but national, noting that some municipalities have begun to leave the Flock network amid litigation and media reports. The trustee asked for analysis on whether the village’s program is worth its cost and whether recent legal developments alter the village’s calculus. "I really do want us to reevaluate how is it serving the community, is it worth the price," the trustee said.

The Police Chief and staff described controls the village has in place: internal audits by the deputy chief to review who has accessed data and for what purpose, a shortened retention period (now 14 days) and contract protections the village asserts reserve control over data and prohibit its use for immigration enforcement. On the question of whether data could be accessed or used by third parties, staff noted that the village can view a transparency portal and that external access is limited to a small group of authorized organizations; staff also said they have engaged directly with Flock leadership and are sharing contract language used by Arlington Heights and others.

Trustees asked about the risk that data could be sold or used by the vendor and asked what auditing and oversight the village has to detect misuse. Counsel and staff said those are outstanding questions that merit deeper review; the village will return with contract comparisons, audit protocols and recommended protections. The board agreed to schedule additional consideration and said it wants robust information before any decision to renew or terminate program participation.

The item was presented as a trustee report and no formal action was taken; staff committed to bring a follow-up analysis back to the board.