After reading a suburban newspaper article regarding license plate readers in Homer Glen and concerns over the storage of this information, I wanted to provide a different perspective.
While I understand the privacy concerns that some have that license plate cameras are akin to “Big Brother,” the piece overlooks the very real ways these tools are reducing crime and helping keep communities safe.
As the mother of an adult son with special needs, I see this issue through a different lens. Our children are kind, capable and an integral part of our communities — but they don’t always recognize danger or know how to respond when something goes wrong.
That reality shapes how families like mine think about safety. Many of us live with the constant fear that a loved one could wander off, become disoriented or be unable to explain who they are or where they live. In cases where they may be victims of crimes such as hit-and-runs, they may not have the same faculties to describe critical details to law enforcement officers.
That’s why it’s vital that we equip local law enforcement agencies with every tool they need to respond quickly and effectively.
License plate readers are one of those tools. They help officers identify suspect vehicles, respond to incidents more efficiently and solve crimes faster. License plate readers help police identify hit-and-run offenders, locate and return missing children and vulnerable individuals to their families, and prosecute drug traffickers.
Strong guardrails on any public safety technology are a must, but when those guardrails impede the effectiveness of the tool, that is cause for concern. Homer Glen’s move to limit the retention period of license plate camera data to just seven days and restrict agency sharing across state lines means that police may lose access to critical information, in some cases before an investigator is assigned to a case. It renders the technology less effective.
There is a smart middle ground that ought to be explored, one that doesn’t diminish the effectiveness of license plate cameras. A framework that includes 30-day data retention, routine audits, flexible parameters around sharing and public transparency will help law enforcement do their job without sacrificing the privacy of our residents.
A balanced approach will make us all safer in the long run.
— Jen Ivey, Lockport
Dangers of license plate readers
This past week, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office pushed two problematic technology purchases to the County Board of Commissioners. The vote to double the number of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) operated by Flock Group — by expanding a contract by $900,000 — passed through committee, after lengthy debate and worrying details, on Wednesday and through the board, with no debate, on Thursday.
The sheriff’s $1.12 million proposal for artificial intelligence surveillance software for use at the jail has been deferred, likely coming up for a vote next month.
The sheriff’s staff promised strict oversight over the ALPRs, stating federal agents would not have access to camera data. However, the current cameras were procured on a one-year no-bid emergency contract in 2022, and after that contract lapsed in 2023, the cameras continued operating and sharing data that could be used by outside law enforcement agencies through Flock’s data-sharing network.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office discovered in an audit that Flock had shared Illinois ALPR data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which violated a state law barring this data from being used to criminalize immigration status or individuals seeking abortion care in Illinois.
Additionally, 404 Media and YouTube investigator Benn Jordan compiled extensive detail on security vulnerabilities and rampant misuse of Flock camera data by law enforcement officers and Flock employees.
While the ALPR deal has gone through, the procurement of Briefcam AI-powered facial recognition software is still pending. The stated intention is to detect “potential” security breaches at the jail, but advocates from 80 organizations have shared very real incidents of abuse from deputies and delayed responses to fights and medical issues that demonstrate the need for investment in human response and oversight.
Flock and Briefcam both have troubling histories. Briefcam has been used extensively by the Israeli government in the illegally occupied Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem. Briefcam was also employed by Texas counties to surveil election workers following a GOP-pushed 2021 voting law to amplify claims of extensive voter fraud. Flock has achieved national fame for how it has helped power the mass deportation campaign of President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.
I encourage Cook County residents to research these technologies, engage their commissioner and share their concerns ahead of a potential Briefcam vote in June.
These tools in their current form introduce more safety concerns for county residents than they address.
— Paddy Lindley, Chicago
Get screened for colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in Illinois and nationwide. The American Cancer Society estimates that this year, more than 158,000 people in the United States will receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis, and tens of thousands will die from the disease. Here in Illinois, an estimated 2,080 will die from the disease, and another 6,160 will be told they have it.
As a gastroenterologist, I have spent nearly two decades screening patients for colorectal cancer. What I have learned is this: The disease does not discriminate, but access to screening does. Nearly 1 in every 3 eligible Illinoisans are not up to date with their recommended screening. Our state screening rate sits at nearly 68%, well below the ACS-recommended rate of 80%. We are losing the battle against a cancer with a 90% five-year survival rate when caught early.
If we want to change the trajectory of colorectal cancer in Illinois, we must change how we think about screening. That means offering people options that fit their lives and building systems that remove, rather than ignore, real-life barriers. People live far from endoscopy centers, lack reliable transportation or cannot afford to take a day off work or arrange childcare to be able to make the necessary accommodations before and following the procedure. This is not a failure of patients. This is a failure of our screening infrastructure.
Colonoscopy will always remain the gold standard, but we need all options to make screening as accessible as possible.
Thankfully, new, innovative screening tools are working to break down the existing barriers. One example of this is Guardant Health’s Shield blood test, a Food and Drug Administration-approved blood test for primary colorectal cancer screening for those age 45 and older at average risk for the disease. From a clinical standpoint, Shield offers the ability to screen for colorectal cancer with a blood draw — a quick way to screen that changes what is possible for screening adherence.
So this is my call to Illinoisans: Talk to your doctor about colorectal cancer screening and make a screening plan. If you are 45 or older, do not leave your next appointment without a concrete path to get screened.
— Dr. Andrew Albert, gastroenterologist and medical director of digestive health, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago
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