What is Flock Safety?

Flock Safety is a private-company that has worked with local law enforcement to install over 90,000 Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) across the USA. These cameras use AI to scan every license plate that passes and can be later queried by local law enforcement to investigate you and your movements at a later date; essentially collecting widespread movement data on hundreds of thousands of Americans every single day. The AI software will notify law enforcement if your license plate is on a "hotlist", usually if there is a warrant for your arrest, or if the vehicle you are driving is stolen, or the vehicle is suspected of being involved in crime or kidnapping.  But 98% of us are innocent people whose movement data is being collected and owned by Flock Safety without our consent.  The Office of Public Safety at Western Illinois University DOES NOT own this data. Flock can sell this data to whomever they'd like to!

Western Illinois University Flock Contract

Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety (OPS) has installed (7) Flock cameras in late spring 2026, without notification to Macomb area residents.  They spent approximately $38,000 to purchase cameras and for the yearly subscription. Every subsequent year will cost approximately $17,000.  This contract is separate from the contract signed by McDonough County in 2025.

Shortly after I noticed these cameras appear, I spoke with Macomb City Council member Justin Schuch of Ward One who worked with OPS to approve these cameras. He did not feel the need to gather the input from his constituents on this matter before allowing AI surveillance infrastructure to be erected. I now cannot leave my house without passing one of these cameras. Derek Watts, Public Safety Director stated on a phone call with me that even if no criminals were caught using this technology that they would not even consider taking the cameras down and cancelling their $17,000 annual subscription.  I do not have any reason whatsoever to believe OPS will abuse this technology, the abuse stems from the architecture itself and not from how individual agencies use it.

Why take issue with the WIU Cameras?

1.  This technology is unlikely to reduce the most common crimes taking place at WIU. Based on Western Illinois University's (WIU) Office of Public Safety (OPS) 2024 security report, the most common crimes and safety incidents are disciplinary referrals, arrests for drug/alcohol possession, and intimate partner violence. Most dating violence and burglary happens within dorms where there are cameras. The application of this technology in this is gratuitous and is unlikely to solve/prevent the most common type of infractions that take place at WIU!
2. The State of Illinois conducted an audit where it revealed that Flock Safety had given data collected from these cameras in nine Illinois municipalities to Customs and Border Patrol and ICE, without the permission of the local law enforcement agency it had signed a contract with (despite Flocks own advertising, stating that the data isn't available to those outside of the law enforcement agency it signed a contract with)!   Installing these cameras around the University, which has a high number of immigrant students and professionals is a threat to the safety of this population, at a time when over 60,000 known persons have been deported from the USA since 2025. As far as I am aware, there has been no Customs and Borders activity in McDonough County at this time but we will not wait until there is before acting!

By signing the petition below, you would like Western Illinois University to remove their Flock Raven AI License Plate Readers and to cancel their subscription to Flock Safety.