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Residents ask Lincolnwood to decommission Flock cameras and publish 'know your rights' resources
Summary
Speakers at the Jan. 6 public forum called on the village to add prominent 'know your rights' information, adopt an ICE‑free property policy and decommission Flock surveillance cameras over privacy and immigration concerns; the board did not take action but noted staff will follow up.
Several residents used the public forum on Jan. 6 to press Lincolnwood officials for changes to public‑safety and communications policy, including removal of Flock surveillance cameras and clearer immigration‑rights information.
"Please follow Evanston's lead and place a know your rights notice on the back page of the printed village newsletter," Pam Lefkowitz said, urging the village to make legal‑rights information widely visible. Lefkowitz also urged the board to adopt an "ice free zone" policy for village property and to decommission Flock camera systems that she said are susceptible to surveillance creep.
Privacy concerns: Cooper Wickham raised technical privacy questions about the town's Flock license‑plate readers, asking whether the village controls the data and warning about breaches reported in other jurisdictions. "If it's not in Lincolnwood, then it's a pretty safe bet that we do not actually own the data," Wickham said.
Board response and next steps: Speakers asked for concrete steps and offered to consult outside the meeting. Mayor Patel and staff did not adopt a policy or direct immediate action at the Jan. 6 meeting; Mayor Patel encouraged residents to continue the conversation with staff and said the board will pass on requests to appropriate staff members.
Why it matters: Residents said prominent local guidance and limits on surveillance would protect immigrants and other vulnerable groups, and reduce the risk that stored location data could be repurposed outside intended uses.
No formal vote was taken; any policy changes would require separate agenda items and likely further staff review.
