Darien System Not Surveillance, But Tracks Speeding Problems: Official

DARIEN, IL – Darien police have already been using a system that they said would track where speeding problems occur, which a local opponent referred to as an "AI-driven surveillance mechanism."

In July, the city voted to spend $25,000 for a year's subscription to Florida-based Urban SDK's system. The program is based on "anonymized" vehicle GPS data and satellite imagery, according to the firm's website.

The system constantly tracks a town's streets, providing instantaneous information.

In his monthly report, Police Chief Greg Thomas noted that many residents thought the system monitored drivers or electronically enforced speed. He said it doesn't identify drivers or vehicles.

"It monitors the speed of vehicles in aggregate, not individual cars, traveling on an area of roadway," the chief said.

After a month of use, he said, the police have analyzed residents' speeding complaints in three areas. In each instance, the system showed no excessive speeding.

The resistance to such systems comes as people across the country have risen against police departments' use of license plate-reading cameras. Opponents have pointed to examples of misuse, such as officers tracking ex-girlfriends.

In advocating for the Urban SDK system, local police argued it would save money and more efficiently address concerns.

Previously, when residents complained about speeding on a specific street, the city spent a lot of time and money setting up tracking equipment and extracting data, officials said. And the typical result was finding that no problem existed, they said.