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Elmhurst approves Flock Safety camera lease amid privacy questions; chief says city will control data
Summary
The Elmhurst City Council voted unanimously to approve a lease and operating agreement with Flock Safety for license‑plate reader cameras (contract amount $45,670.73). Residents raised LAPD inspector‑general concerns and error‑rate reporting; the police chief said Elmhurst controls sharing and retention follows Illinois law.
The Elmhurst City Council unanimously approved a lease and operating agreement with Flock Safety for license‑plate reader cameras and associated software on July 20, voting to authorize the agreement in the amount of $45,670.73.
Public commenters raised privacy and accuracy concerns, citing a recent Los Angeles Office of Inspector General recommendation that LAPD suspend or renegotiate its contract with Flock due to a reported high error rate and data‑ownership issues. ‘‘Six days ago… the Los Angeles Police Department Board of Commissioners accepted a recommendation…to suspend their contract with Flock…32% error rate in identifying stolen vehicles,’’ resident Julie Bentz told the council and urged Elmhurst to postpone or vote no until Elmhurst’s contract explicitly spells out who owns and can share the data.
Elmhurst’s police chief answered during the agenda item, saying the city’s agreement on the table includes contractual protections and that, under Illinois law, license‑plate reader (LPR) data are retained for 90 days. The chief said the system stores no identity information — only plate, date, time and location — and that Elmhurst would not share data out of state or with federal enforcement. ‘‘Flock does not commercialize our data… they do not take the data from Elmhurst and sell it to any 3rd party vendors,’’ the chief said, adding that every query is audited and tied to a police report number.
Council members asked technical and contractual questions. Some members said they reviewed Flock’s terms and conditions and were reassured that Elmhurst would retain ownership and control over use for legitimate law‑enforcement purposes only; others asked about published error rates and misuse risks. The council stressed internal auditing and officer verification policies that require human review before enforcement actions.
Clerk Tamer read the Public Affairs & Safety Committee recommendation to approve the agreement (signed by committee chair Alderman Michael Brennan and others). The roll call vote passed 13–0, 1 absent.
What happens next: The city will execute the lease and implement the operating agreement under department oversight with monthly audits and the data‑retention practices described by the police chief.
