West Chicago police officer accused of misusing Flock cameras, city reviewing system
The City of West Chicago, Illinois, said is conducting a full review of its Flock camera system after a police officer was accused of misusing the system.
In a statement Tuesday, the city said it was conducting a review of their Flock automated license plate recognition system when they discovered indications a police officer may have used the system for "an unauthorized purpose" between the end of 2024 and early 2025. The city did not offer further details about what kind unauthorized use they discovered.
The city said the officer, who has not been identified, was placed on administrative leave for the duration of the investigation, and immediately took steps to preserve the records they found.
City officials said the DuPage State's Attorney's Office has been contacted and asked to investigate independently to see if criminal charges are warranted. The city said it is fully cooperating with that investigation.
Additionally, the city said it is continuing to conduct a broader audit of the police department's use of the Flock system and other technology, including looking into system usage, access, auditing practices, oversight, training, policies and procedures, and safeguards. Officials said the city recently added more early-detection auditing tools and will continue to monitor best practices, but did not offer further details about these tools or best practices.
"The City recognizes the broader public concern surrounding the use of automated license plate readers. These tools have provided important public safety benefits, but their use must be balanced with appropriate safeguards, clear policies, meaningful oversight, and accountability," Officials wrote.
Citing the ongoing investigation by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, city officials said they could not release any further information.
Flock cameras have come under increased scrutiny recently, with its CEO recently apologizing for instances in which data was misused by law enforcement. The Washington Post reported in early August about police officers accused in at least 46 instances of misusing Flock's license plate camera network for various reasons, including allegedly stalking women.
In July, former Holiday Hills, Illinois, police chief William Copp was charged with official misconduct, accused of nearly 250 unauthorized searches on Flock while he was a part-time officer in Prairie Grove.
In Kenosha, Wisconsin, a now-former sheriff's deputy was charged with using Flock cameras to track a fellow deputy he was dating.
The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm specializing in civil liberties cases, identified over 100 incidents of automatic license plate reader abuse, including stalking and wrongful stops.
While some police departments have ended their contracts with Flock over concerns about how the company handles its data, others are expanding. The city of Harvey, Illinois, recently expanded their contract to include Flock Safety drones, and the Will County board renewed their contracts in several suburbs, including Mokena, Crete, Manhattan, Frankfort, Naperville and Wilmington.