The village of Homer Glen has halted the use of its Flock camera license plate reading program. This action follows reports of a Will County sheriff’s deputy being placed on administrative leave due to alleged policy infractions.
The suspension was announced shortly after the Will County Board’s decision to renew Flock camera agreements. These agreements permit municipalities, including Mokena, Frankfort, and Manhattan, to use county rights of way for their license plate reader cameras.
Recently, an officer from the Channahon Police Department was alleged to have misused the Flock camera system. The officer was placed on administrative leave as a result.
Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike expressed her intention to thoroughly examine the Flock camera system. She is pausing camera usage within village limits while an investigation is conducted by the Will County sheriff’s office.
I want more reassurances this won’t happen. We are putting a pause on any use of our cameras. Until an investigation is done, I can’t put our residents at risk.
The village of Homer Glen voted in April to implement safeguards in its Flock camera policies. These measures aimed to address privacy concerns among residents.
According to the agreement with the sheriff’s office, the Village Board decided to restrict data sharing to Illinois and limit data retention to seven days.
Homer Glen approved the installation of 12 license plate readers at village access points in December. However, only four cameras are currently installed.
Mayor Neitzke-Troike reported that operations on these cameras are paused, and installation of the remaining eight is delayed until the issues are resolved.
In 2023, Homer Glen residents responded to a referendum question about license plate cameras, with 60.4% voting against their use. Neitzke-Troike clarified that the deputy under investigation did not cover the Homer Glen community.
Will County sheriff’s department released a statement on Monday regarding the deputy’s administrative leave, pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation into possible policy violations.
The statement emphasized the sheriff’s office’s high standards in professionalism and integrity.
Will County Undersheriff Dan Jungles spoke at a Will County Board meeting in favor of Flock cameras. He highlighted their role in solving crimes, recovering stolen vehicles, and improving community safety.
Jungles stressed the importance of accountability and urged the public to ask questions and hold officers responsible for any misuse of this technology.
Police chiefs from Mokena, Naperville, and Frankfort advocated for continued intergovernmental agreements, citing solved crimes through license plate cameras.
Nonetheless, concerns persist among several residents regarding potential privacy invasions and misuse for purposes like immigration enforcement or domestic tracking.
In response to misuse reports, Flock Safety revised its policies in August, introducing requirements for officers to enter specific codes.
The Channahon Police Department uncovered unauthorized use of Flock technology by one of its officers on August 27. They have since implemented advanced audit tools to bolster trust and accountability.
A statement from the Channahon police underscored their commitment to community trust and accountability.
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