Police chief assures public: No Flock cameras being used in Elgin, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/12/police-chief-assures-public-no-flock-cameras-being-used-in-elgin/)

In this report, Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley addressed the Elgin City Council and the community to clarify the department’s use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology amid heightened public debate and reports of privacy concerns and system misuse involving Flock Safety cameras across Illinois and nationwide.Key points from the report include:

• No Flock Technology in Use: Chief Lalley confirmed that the Elgin Police Department does not use Flock Safety cameras and holds no active agreements or contracts with the company.
• Prior Policy Decision: She noted that the choice not to partner with Flock was made years ago because Flock’s network and data-sharing model did not align with the department’s philosophy and privacy standards.
• Current ALPR Setup: The Elgin Police Department does operate license plate readersspecifically 27 cameras deployed across nine strategic locations in the city. However, these units are supplied by Genetec and Axon rather than Flock.
• Restricted Access & Audit Findings: Unlike open networks that allow broad inter-agency data sharing, Elgin’s camera system is kept restricted so outside law enforcement agencies cannot freely search or access its data. Additionally, an internal audit confirmed that there has been no unauthorized use or misuse of the department’s license plate readers.