Rotary donates $30,000 for local food aid; resident urges removal of Flock surveillance cameras

Two items during the public-comment portion of the May 4 Wheeling Village Board meeting drew sustained attention: a large charitable donation for local food aid and a forceful plea to remove private surveillance cameras from village streets.

Jim Bradley, speaking for the Rotary Club of Wheeling, recounted a multi-year effort supporting a local food pantry and thanked numerous volunteers and partner organizations. Bradley said the pantry distributed roughly 167,000 pounds of food between 2011 and 2017 and presented a $30,000 check payable to the Wheeling Police Unity Foundation "to continue providing food for the less fortunate residents of our community." The board received the presentation and applauded.

Later in public comment, Tom Debit urged the board to remove Flock-branded surveillance cameras, which the village extended under contract in December 2023 through fiscal year 2029. Debit told the board: "Even if you have to pay out the remainder of the contract, do it with the cameras off and gone." He cited news reports from Georgia and alleged instances where Flock employees or some police officers accessed footage in ways he described as abusive or invasive. "You can't control who sees this data and what they do it for," Debit said, urging the village to make a statement by removing the cameras.

The board did not take immediate action on the surveillance contract during the meeting; public-comment rules noted that the board or staff would not answer questions during this segment. Staff later directed residents to posted online resources about the village's surveillance program.

(Proof: Village of Wheeling Board meeting, May 4, 2026.)