Burr Ridge Cameras Spark ICE Surveillance Concerns

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge officials said Monday that several subdivisions have accepted the village's offer for new police surveillance cameras in their neighborhoods. And none with cameras now have declined, they said.

But at least one has concerns.

At a Village Board meeting, Mary Bradley, president of the Carriage Way homeowners association, said she heard mistrust and concerns over Flock Safety's license plate-reading cameras from her group's board.

She said board members had reservations related to privacy and the possible sharing of information with federal agencies, particularly ICE.

"I'm not sure where my board will go at this stage of the game," Bradley said.

Also expressing concern was resident Ethan Frankel, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering student at the University of Illinois.

He noted the North Shore suburb of Evanston pulled out of its Flock contract, with a state audit finding that license plate data was shared with federal agencies.

Frankel also alleged that in some instances, Flock cameras have been used to investigate people, including protestors, for reasons unrelated to crime prevention.

Police surveillance cameras have attracted more opposition around the country, including in Darien.

Flock executive Dan Murdock said his company plays no role in deciding who has access to an agency's camera data.

"Evanston did allow sharing," Murdock said. "That was a button they clicked, and it was set up that way. When it came to their attention, they were not happy about it."

A few years ago, he said, police departments were more willing to share with the federal government because doing so meant something different than it does today.

He was referring to the start of President Donald Trump's second administration, which launched a deportation campaign.

"Flock could have done better in 2022 and 2023, explaining to agencies, when they were setting up their systems, what it meant to share federally," Murdock said.

Flock has gone back to every police customer in Illinois to explain exactly what their system settings mean.

Mayor Gary Grasso said the village installs cameras for law enforcement purposes.

"There's no way we would use this to violate someone's personal rights," the mayor said.

Trustee Tony Schiappa agreed.

"We live in a nice village," he said. "As the mayor said, we have stuff, we have nice stuff. I think we are a target, and these cameras will help deter that."

The Village Board voted unanimously for a nearly $1.3 million contract with Flock. Trustee Guy Franzese was absent, but issued a statement in support.

Patch asked Police Chief Marc Loftus about the use of camera data with other agencies.

In response, the chief said the department shares data with a number of agencies nationwide and that it receives reciprocal sharing in turn.

"We only share data with an agency outside of Illinois if they have executed a declaration that expressly affirms that (automated license plate reader) information obtained shall not be used in a manner that denies or interferes with a person's right to choose or obtain reproductive health care services or any lawful health care services as defined by the Lawful Health Care Activity Act, or permits the detention or investigation of a person based on the person's immigration status."