Wilmette Residents Push Back on Proposed Flock Camera Contract Extension

WILMETTE, IL — Wilmette officials are weighing whether to extend the village's contract with Flock Automated License Plate Reader cameras through January 2029, a proposal that drew strong opposition from residents at a Public Safety Committee meeting earlier this month.

The Village of Wilmette contracted with Flock Safety in 2022 to install the cameras "to assist with criminal investigations and to enhance public safety." According to the Wilmette Police Department, 22 Flock cameras are currently installed in Wilmette. The current contract expires in December 2026.

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During public comment, residents raised concerns about surveillance, data security, transparency and whether the cameras are efficient in solving crimes.

"Surveillance is not safety, and surveillance is not security. In fact, it's the opposite. Surveillance turns all of us into suspects," one resident said. "It's presuming that we have done something wrong instead of going after the bad guys."

Residents also pointed to reported misuse of Flock systems elsewhere, including a 2025 incident in which the Illinois secretary of state found that Texas agents searched Flock databases in Illinois to pursue a woman who had an abortion.

Members of the Public Safety Committee, including Trustees Gerry Smith, Mike Lieber and Stephen Leonard, asked questions about privacy, access controls and Flock as a company. Lieber asked whether the Wilmette Police Department has a policy in place if officers were to misuse camera data.

Police Chief Michael Robinson said Wilmette officers have been informed that if an officer were to misuse data, their employment would be terminated. According to Robinson, camera data is used for lawful investigations into potential criminal activity involving a jailable offense under United States law or the law of any state. The village said the data is not used to enforce local ordinance violations.

"We do not use this for any reproductive rights, healthcare status, or immigration status that's codified. We have one of the most restrictive policies of any Flock user that we know about, and we intend to stay that way," Robinson said.

Robinson also gave an example tied to a November 2025 residential burglary investigation and other crimes in Wilmette and neighboring communities. He said investigators identified a possible suspect vehicle and were able to look back at Flock data and connect that vehicle to the case, which he said would not have been possible if the data had been deleted after a shorter period.

The public safety commission is scheduled to meet again on Oct. 14. The Village Board is set to discuss the contract renewal at its Nov. 11 meeting.