Homer Glen officials are preparing to move forward with installing license plate reader cameras in town, but want to hear all potential privacy concerns before final approval.
All six trustees voiced their support for the Flock Safety license plate camera system at a board meeting Wednesday and want to obtain more information about price, locations they would be installed and how they would be implemented. No vote on installing the cameras was taken, and trustees plan to continue discussion in December.
“I believe it’s prudent for us to move forward with this to give our Will County sheriff the tools needed to keep our community safe,” Trustee Robert Schaller said. “I think it’s important to move this across the finish line instead of waiting and pontificating on what is best for the community.”
The license plate reader cameras are designed to help police solve crime or locate missing persons. They aren’t used for traffic violations, such as speeding or running red lights.
The cameras pick up on a car’s make, model and other identifying features that it can share with law enforcement partners in real time.
But the cameras came into question recently for possible uses looking for undocumented immigrants or women crossing state lines to seek abortions. In the summer, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said an audit found that Customs and Border Protection had accessed Illinois data.
Concerns have cause some Illinois communities to deactivate their cameras. Others, such as Blue Island, recently reauthorized their agreements with Flock, but not after questioning how the data was being shared.
Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said while she is in favor of the cameras, she would like to learn more about any investigations into their use and any violations of privacy before a final decision is reached.
“I, too, have heard that the misuse of these cameras in certain areas is what is causing the problems,” she said.
Schaller, a former police chief, said Thursday the cameras are another method that helps law enforcement solve crimes. They can also act as a crime deterrent just by being installed, he said.
Cameras can be useful to police when put in business districts, high traffic areas or near schools to protect children’s safety, Schaller said. Many homeowners associations have also installed cameras in their neighborhoods, he said.
He said more residents he’s talked with are in favor of the cameras than opposed and he said he would like residents to ask questions if they are apprehensive.
Schaller said privacy concerns occur in daily life, such as cellphone apps that track user activity or know when someone enters a store, and facial recognition cameras in places such as casinos.
The license plate cameras do not offer facial recognition or store personal data, Schaller said. The license plate data is also deleted after 30 days, he said.
Schaller said the cameras should not be used to track down individuals who are in the country illegally or who may be seeking abortions. The information is also not accessible to Homer Glen employees, but only to the Will County sheriff’s department, which provides the village police service.
Schaller said the sheriff’s department can customize who sees its data and select which police departments may receive data read on Homer Glen cameras.
Trustee Nick Muller, a police sergeant, said the village needs to “work past the handful of naysayers that call it Big Brother and too much government oversight,” agreeing it is a helpful service for police.
The Homer Glen Village Board planned the Flock camera system in 2022, but ended up canceling the project after delays procuring permits. Privacy concerns brought up by residents during this period led to an advisory referendum in 2023, when residents voted against the cameras.
Village Manager Joe Baber said he will get updated pricing information and potential locations for the cameras before the Dec. 10 board meeting.
Baber said the sheriff’s department is in favor of the cameras.
An article about potentially installing cameras was included in the village’s fall newsletter, and Baber said he had not heard any feedback, either positive or negative.
The village will have to do its part to educate residents on the cameras so they feel comfortable with their use, Trustee Mike LePore said.
Other trustees said surrounding municipalities use license plate cameras and noted the village’s proximity to Interstate 355.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
