Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Following another extended period of discussion, the Springfield City Council has approved extending with its contract with Flock for the use of license plate reader cameras.
The vote was 9-0. Alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase, Ward 5, was absent.
Alderman Shawn Gregory, Ward 2, introduced an amendment that was passed with changes , making sure that data related to the use of the cameras is provided to aldermen on an annual basis. Gregory says his request was something the police can do already, and that it’s codified in city code.
While the council unanimously voted for the contract extension, prior to that, aldermen Brad Carlson and Ralph Hanauer voted against those amentments.
“We need clear rules on who can access the data, how long it’s can be kept, annual public reporting, independent audits, immediate notification of any data breach, and real accountability if the system is misused,” said Gregory, on social media, just prior to the meeting.
Springfield Police claim that other law enforcement agencies can look at the city’s Flock system, but in most cases, not without their permission. And, police officials say, for most other agencies, they’re likely going to say “no” if permission is sought.
“These cameras are incredibly revealing and allow police to reconstruct people’s past movements without a warrant or any reason to believe they’ve done something wrong – that’s a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment,” said Institute for Justice Attorney Michael Soyfer, “one of the leaders of IJ’s nationwide fight against these cameras,” in a news release prior to the City Council vote. “Springfield should learn from the cities that canceled their contracts after learning how ripe the cameras are for abuse, like Denver and Austin.”
The cost to the city is $508,000 for a contract from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2028.
This story may be updated. Hear more Wednesday morning on the WTAX Morning Newswatch, on Newstalk 93.9 and AM 1240 WTAX.
