ROCKFORD, IL — What the city of Rockford says about who owns the data collected by Flock Safety cameras and what’s written in Rockford Police Department general orders contradict each other — for now.
The language in the general orders outlining who retains ownership of any and all video captured on Flock cameras in Rockford is incorrect, Police Chief Carla Redd said.
The order reads that automated license plate reader “data is not owned or possessed by the City of Rockford,” but it’s a mistake and it’s going to be changed.
That wording applied to a previous vendor that the city no longer uses, Redd explained, and does not apply to the city’s Flock cameras.
“I caught the discrepancy as we were going through all of the Flock stuff and preparing for City Council,” Redd said, noting that the change will be made during the next annual review of orders.
General orders set the policies and procedures for the Rockford Police Department. They provide officers with guidance on how to do everything from interacting with the news media to when to pursue a fleeing suspect to the circumstances that permit the use of deadly force.
Regardless what the orders state, the city owns and controls how the data collected from its network of automated license plate readers is used and shared, Redd said. Flock Safety is entrusted with protecting and maintaining the data, but Rockford determines which law enforcement agencies have access to it and how long the data is kept before being deleted.
City Council approved an expansion of the city’s network of Flock Safety license plate readers on March 2.
Rockford is utilizing a $111,000 organized retail theft prevention grant from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for 27 additional Flock license plate readers and seven new intersection video cameras as part of a multiyear agreement.
With the expansion, Rockford will have 157 license plate readers and 51 intersection surveillance cameras from Flock.
‘Abuse’ could mean termination
The expansion got plenty of scrutiny as residents raised concerns with the proliferation of surveillance equipment in the city.
They told city officials they worry it could be used to invade the privacy and violate the civil rights of residents, track their movements or be abused by police, federal immigration or out-of-state law enforcement in ways that violate Illinois law.
But Redd says there are safeguards in place meant to make sure the data is not abused by police or outside agencies.
General orders say “authorized users are permitted to access the ALPR system for legitimate law enforcement purposes only.” And that “intentional misuse or abuse of the ALPR system, software, associated databases, or data shall be subject to sanctions and disciplinary action potentially up to and including termination.”
It prohibits using the system for intimidation or harassment, surveillance for reasons other than law enforcement, use for personal or political reasons and sharing information with another agency that violates state law. It cites immigration enforcement as an example of a use that is prohibited.
Flock Safety responds
Flock license plate readers are activated by motion. They capture an image of a vehicle’s rear as it passes. The company argues they can’t be used to track a person’s travels. Images reveal a vehicle’s location at a moment in time by its license plate number and other identifying characteristics like bumper stickers, rear end damage, bike racks and similar details.
The license plate belonging to a suspect vehicle or wanted person can be entered into the system and alert law enforcement when that particular vehicle passes a flock camera.
Although Rockford general orders do not specify a retention period, the data collected by Flock is automatically set to delete after 30 days by default. If a police officer is investigating a crime, he or she must download that data and enter it into a case file to preserve it, Flock Safety spokesperson Paris Lewbel said.
Lewbel said the company never sells its data and goes to extraordinary lengths to protect its storage system from hackers.
“A majority of the images that are actually captured on Flock LPR’s system are actually never seen by a human,” Lewbel said. “It’s only cases that are being investigated … The majority of the images are actually never seen because they’re captured, they’re not part of an investigation and then they’re deleted.”
Access leaves trail
Searching Flock data creates a permanent record that can be audited to make sure police officers are using the technology in accordance with city policy, Lewbel said, adding that decision to share are determined by the law enforcement agency.
Rockford has limited its data sharing to Illinois law enforcement which are covered by the Illinois Trust Act, officials said.
“Our local agencies fully own and control 100% of the data collected from their cameras,” Lewbel said. “And that means no outside agency, whether it’s local, state or regional, can access that data unless the agency explicitly chooses to share it. And decisions made about sharing data with other agencies rests entirely with the agency itself.”
Becoming an everyday tool
Redd credits the expanded use of cameras and technology with helping the department boost its homicide solve rates and fight violent crime.
But she said the technology is also helping police in routine cases.
The department used the system March 9 to locate an 82-year-old Indiana woman who had been reported missing by her family. Rockford police used her license plate number to search for her.
The Flock Safety system flagged the vehicle traveling northbound near the intersection of Bell School Road and East State Street, within about 15 minutes of the missing person report. That information led police to the woman and her vehicle and she was reunited with her family, police say.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Who controls Flock data? Rockford, Flock explain camera partnership
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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