DuPage County officials want to know what rules should govern the license plate reader cameras increasingly deployed across suburban police departments, and they're asking the county's top prosecutor to weigh in.
The County Board's Legislative Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 4, directed staff to invite State's Attorney Bob Berlin to a future meeting to present the pros and cons of Flock Safety cameras and the policy guardrails surrounding their use, according to committee minutes.
Committee Chair Dawn DeSart raised the issue after attending two Illinois State Association of Counties meetings during the board's summer break: a statewide Judicial and Public Safety Committee session on July 22 and a collar counties meeting on July 27. Flock camera policy topped the list of issues other counties are wrestling with.
The 12-minute meeting produced questions from committee members about what guardrails should look like. DeSart asked staffer Kate Kissane to arrange Berlin's presentation. No date has been set.
What Flock cameras do
Flock Safety cameras are solar-powered, fixed-position devices that photograph every license plate passing their location. The system cross-references plates against law enforcement databases of stolen vehicles, wanted persons and AMBER alerts. Each unit costs approximately $2,800.
The core policy questions are straightforward: How long should that data be stored? Which agencies can access or share it? And what uses beyond active investigations should be permitted?
Illinois law allows departments to retain ALPR data for up to 90 days when it is not tied to an active case, according to a July report in the Quincy Herald-Whig. Some departments use shorter windows. Wilmette, in Cook County, purges data after 30 days and prohibits sharing with agencies outside Illinois or the federal government.
Why it matters for Hinsdale
If the county eventually adopts policy recommendations on license plate readers, they could influence how DuPage municipalities, including Hinsdale, handle ALPR data. The village's police department already operates within the county's law enforcement technology ecosystem. In February, the Village Board approved a five-year, $389,776.50 contract with Axon Enterprise for body-worn and in-car cameras, citing Axon's "widespread use among DuPage County agencies and system compatibility."
Whether Hinsdale PD currently subscribes to Flock or a comparable fixed ALPR network is not confirmed in public records.
Berlin's stance in context
Berlin defended the cameras in a July 28 statement announcing felony charges against three men accused of stealing five Flock cameras in Lisle. He called the devices "a critical tool used by law enforcement under strict statutory guidelines" that provide "valuable information when time is of the essence, such as in missing persons reports or an AMBER alert."
That statement came in a prosecutorial context. Whether Berlin will advocate for specific retention limits, data-sharing restrictions or audit requirements when he addresses the Legislative Committee remains to be seen.
The Lisle theft case underscores the technology's presence across DuPage County. Anthony Pareigis, 34, Jacob Steichmann, 32, and Thomas Yano, 31, each face Class 2 felony theft and Class 3 felony criminal damage charges. Their next court appearance is Monday, Aug. 24, before Judge Daniel Guerin.
Privacy concerns
A report cited by the ACLU and published in 2026 found a pattern of Flock Safety misrepresenting its data-sharing policies to local officials, including cases where councils were told data was not being shared when it was. A bill pending in the Illinois General Assembly would further limit ALPR data retention and use.
Hinsdale public safety week ahead
- Tuesday, Aug. 11 — Hinsdale Village Board regular meeting. Agenda not yet posted; residents can check villageofhinsdale.org for updates.
- Monday, Aug. 24 — Lisle Flock camera theft case, next court appearance before Judge Daniel Guerin, 18th Judicial Circuit Court.
