Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

The Controversy Surrounding Flock Cameras

To fully grasp Batavia’s current position, it’s helpful to understand the technology in question. Flock Safety cameras are a popular brand of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) utilized by thousands of law enforcement agencies and neighborhood associations across the country. The cameras capture vehicle license plates, vehicle characteristics, and occasionally snapshot images of drivers, before uploading them to a searchable, cloud-based network.

While advocates argue that ALPRs are highly effective tools for solving crimes and finding missing persons, the systems are frequently at the center of national controversy. Privacy advocates raise several primary concerns:

• Mass Surveillance: The cameras capture data on everyone passing by, essentially tracking the daily movements of ordinary citizens rather than just individuals suspected of a crime.
• Data Sharing and Retention: The network allows agencies to share data across state and local lines, raising fears that local data could be used by outside jurisdictions for unauthorized enforcement.
• Lack of Oversight: In many municipalities, the cameras are installed by private entities—like businesses or Homeowners Associations—but accessed by police, sometimes bypassing standard public approval processes.

Batavia’s Avoidance of Flock Systems

Despite the prevalence of this technology in other communities, the City of Batavia and the Batavia Police Department (BPD) do not currently operate any Flock cameras or other ALPR systems.

Previously, the BPD maintained a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Flock Safety. This agreement allowed Batavia officers and investigators to tap into the wider Flock network to assist in investigations when required and with obvious purpose. However, this relationship was terminated when Flock altered its business model to require fees from law enforcement agencies that wanted network access but did not install cameras within their jurisdiction.

It’s critical to clarify that any Flock camera located within Batavia city limits is situated on private property and operated entirely by a local business. These private cameras are not affiliated with or operated by the city.

Privacy and the “HaveIbeenFlocked” Website

Questions have also circulated regarding “HaveIbeenFlocked,” a website that allows users to see if their license plate data has been captured by ALPR networks.

The BPD has explicitly clarified its relationship with this site:

• The website has absolutely no connection to the City’s camera systems, nor does it interface directly with the Flock platform.
• The site functions by aggregating data obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted to various law enforcement agencies nationwide.
• None of the information on the “HaveIbeenFlocked” website originated from the Batavia Police Department.

Following the emergence of this site, Flock implemented new safeguards to prevent one agency’s FOIA compliance from inadvertently exposing another agency’s investigative data. They also provided stricter guidance to law enforcement on what information is subject to FOIA disclosure.

Finally, for residents concerned about the cameras currently mounted on city infrastructure, the Police Department has clearly stated that the hardware and software utilized in the City’s standard exterior camera systems do not include ALPR capabilities.

Author: Jim Fahrenbach

Downtown Batavia Camera Installation Update