Darien Flock Foe Insults Alderman, Calling Him 'Dirty Man'

DARIEN, IL – A leading Darien opponent of the city's use of Flock license plate-reading cameras insulted a local alderman Monday, calling him a "dirty man" and "pretty old."

At a City Council meeting, Deputy Police Chief Austin Jump spoke about how such cameras played a role in the investigation into a fatal shooting at the Oak Brook mall.

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Alderman Eric Gustafson then said he had heard reports that some drivers put a thin, clear film on their license plates to avoid camera detection.

He asked whether officers could chase such cars, to which Jump said the police don't get camera alerts about such issues.

But he said it has long been against the law to tamper with license plates, which are state property.

During the public comments period moments later, resident Jeff Sturgeon questioned Gustafson's suggestion to chase drivers when computers can't read their plates.

"Are you serious? You're a dirty man," Sturgeon said.

Gustafson objected, saying license plates should be readable.

Sturgeon continued, "Why don't we have cameras in your house for the city to watch? You're getting pretty old, falling down."

Sturgeon, who has spoken out against Flock cameras before, called for Darien to end all electronic surveillance.

He listed examples where license plate-reading cameras have been misused. On Monday, DuPage County prosecutors announced that two officers face felony charges for unauthorized license plate searches on Flock camera systems.

Polls show growing opposition to such cameras across the ideological spectrum.

In August, Sturgeon, a Naperville Central High School teacher, spoke to his school board about being placed on administrative leave for 2½ months after he said he advocated for Palestinian students, according to a Naper Today story.

Debates during public meetings rarely involve personal attacks such as Sturgeon's on Monday. But they occur.

During a 2024 meeting, a Western Springs resident who works as a financial executive told village officials they may have committed treason by declining to enact regulations to deal with migrant buses from Texas.

In the United States, a person convicted of treason can face the death penalty.

In early 2022, a man told the Lyons Township High School board that they were "worse than pedophiles" for enforcing a state face mask requirement.