Resident warns Village about Flock Safety camera contracts and data risks

A public commenter raised concerns about Flock Safety camera systems and potential privacy and law-enforcement data-sharing risks during the Village Board's March 16 public-comment period.

John Sension told the board he does not trust Flock Safety "with such levels of surveillance" and said he is worried the systems could expose residents to risks even if the village does not intentionally share data with federal immigration authorities. He recounted reports from other municipalities in which residents or local groups challenged the company; he said one college-age individual created a website tracking Flock cameras and was later sued by or faced threats from the company, and he alleged that in one case a village's contract termination did not prevent the company from reinstalling cameras.

Mayor Tinaglia and Village Manager Recklaus acknowledged the concern and said the village has discussed Flock Safety previously. "I'm very confident that our contract with Flock is going to make certain some of the things that may have happened elsewhere are not happening here," the mayor said, and the Village Manager or the police chief were offered as contacts for follow-up questions.

The board did not announce any immediate changes to its surveillance contracts at the meeting; the comment was recorded as part of the public-comment record.