Latest news with #Flock
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Evanston to protect privacy of abortion, gender-care patients by limiting license plate reader tech
In response to reports of Texas officials using Mount Prospect's automatic license plate reading (ALPR) technology to track a woman who traveled to Illinois for an abortion, Evanston officials passed an ordinance that would limit data sharing in similar cases to protect the privacy of individuals seeking sensitive healthcare procedures. The Evanston City Council introduced its Health Data Protection Ordinance at its June 23 meeting to protect people seeking reproductive care or gender-affirming surgery in Evanston from being tracked and having their privacy violated. While the ordinance focuses on health care, it could also potentially prevent federal officials from tracking immigrants, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss observed. The Evanston Police Department uses license plate reading technology from Flock Safety, which also manages license plate readers for police departments in Mount Prospect and many other Illinois municipalities. Flock uses cameras to read license plates and logs the data for 30 days. It can be accessed by out-of-state law enforcement agencies with access to Flock on an opt-in basis, according to Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release that his office is investigating the technology and company after Mount Prospect's Flock license plate readers were used by Texas officials. Illinois law bars license plate reading technology to aid federal agencies to track undocumented immigrants and for out-of-state agencies to use the technology to track those who seek abortions and gender-affirming surgery. Evanston Police Sergeant Tom Giese, who manages EPD's license plate reader system, said the technology makes Evanston safer and has contributed to arrests ranging from hit-and-runs to murders. Stewart said according to Flock, the technology has followed Illinois law in Evanston. Nonetheless, Stewart said the police department has temporarily removed itself from the national opt-in look-up tool. Mayor Daniel Biss, an advocate for the proposed ordinance, said he anticipates Illinois, including Evanston, will continue to be a destination for those seeking abortions and gender- affirming surgery as bans have cropped up for both practices in nearby states. City Councilmembers Jonathan Nieuwsma and Juan Geracaris, along with Biss, spoke to reporters prior to the City Council meeting to answer questions about the ordinance. 'We don't have illusions about what role we do and don't play as a municipal government, but we also feel a really acute urgency to do whatever we can,' Biss said. Biss said prior to the ordinance's introduction that out-of-state agencies have not asked to use Evanston's license plate readers to monitor people who come to Illinois seeking healthcare that is outlawed in their home state. Nevertheless, he said he didn't want to wait for it to happen to pass an ordinance against it. 'This is what's coming,' Biss said. 'What I have learned is that if you wait for the bad thing to happen and then try to retroactively prohibit it — not only do you not solve the one individual problem of the bad thing that happened — but also you've allowed a bad habit to form, which is really, really dangerous.' Another Evanston media outlet reported that out-of-state police agencies have tapped into Flock's national look-up tool to conduct seven searches related to immigration including Evanston and elsewhere. The practice troubled several members on the dais. 'I'm not comfortable with this… what I've learned so far has not given me the comfort that I need,' Biss said. Giese said Flock's national look-up tool has assisted the department in the past when criminal suspects have fled the immediate area, and the department's ability to use the look-up tool is contingent on EPD sharing its data. 'The national look-up is not an actual search,' Giese said. 'Flock calls it a ping. So it's taking a specific license plate, running it across every camera and then Flock will be like, 'Alright, it hit in this town, in this state.'' 'Yeah, that's what I'm scared of,' Biss said. 'That's the exact thing that I think, 'Oh my God, why would we ever dream of doing that?'' 'From my experience, the national look-up tool has been very beneficial for us as a law enforcement agency for our operations,' Giese replied. 'I totally understand the concern that you bring up with it. But by eliminating it and by no longer subscribing to that, we're just focusing on the state now.' 'After discussions with several surrounding agencies, although there was misuse, it was a very small amount of misuse compared to the daily usage of Flock… less than 1% of misuse,' Giese said. Biss expressed concern about the possibility of that misuse happening in Evanston. 'Maybe just to give you some tactical advice in convincing me in the future, every time you say it's only a few examples, you move me further away from you, dramatically,' he said. 'If our attitude is like, eh, we'll just let a few instances slip by where we're helping ICE whisk people off the street, I'm done,' Biss said. Stewart disagreed with that assessment. 'That would be your opinion. I don't think we've shown you as an agency that's our attitude. We've disabled (the national opt-in lookup tool).' 'Right. Okay,' Biss said. Flock's contract is active through 2028, Giese said in response to a question from City Councilmember Bobby Burns. Corporation Counsel Alexandra Ruggie said to her knowledge, Flock has not done anything to violate its contract with Evanston which would allow the contract to be terminated early.
CBS News
25-06-2025
- CBS News
Stolen car recovered in Taylor after driver left it unlocked and running in Monroe
A car stolen that was stolen Tuesday in Monroe, Michigan, was found later in the day in Taylor. The driver had left her vehicle unlocked, with the keys inside and the engine running, at a drugstore parking lot, according to the report from Monroe Police Department. The theft was reported shortly before 11 a.m. from the Walgreens at North Monroe Street and Stewart Road. When police arrived, the victim said she left her car running with keys inside while she was shopping in the store. But during that time frame, someone stole the car. Monroe police shared a description of the vehicle with area law enforcement agencies, and about 11:30 a.m. Monroe County Central Dispatch received a report that the Flock license plate camera system detected the car as it was northbound. About 1:35 p.m., Taylor Police Department contacted Monroe County Central Dispatch to report their officers had located the stolen vehicle and detained the driver. Monroe Police detectives followed up with that information and continued the investigation. "In light of the recent heatwave, we understand that leaving the air conditioning on in your vehicle is a convenient way to stay cool on hot days. However, leaving your vehicle unattended with the keys inside while it is running increases the risk of theft. This practice is strongly discouraged," Monroe police said in their report. "Not all stolen vehicles are recovered, so please take precautions: always turn off and lock your vehicle when it is unattended." Anyone with information to share on the investigation is asked to contact Cpl. Ryan Parise at 734-243-7500, ext. 7538, or Sgt. Aaron Oetjens at 734-243-7516.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect arrested in Dublin freeway shooting
DUBLIN, Calif. - A suspect was arrested Wednesday after allegedly firing shots at another motorist on a freeway in Dublin, according to the California Highway Patrol. What we know The shooting occurred around 9:02 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 580 between Flynn and Grant Line roads. A man reported that he was driving his Tesla Model 3 when the driver of a red GMC Yukon fired at least five shots at him, the CHP said. Neither the man nor his vehicle was struck by the gunfire. Authorities have not said what led up to the shooting, but officers were able to track the Yukon to San Leandro using Flock license plate readers. San Leandro police located the suspect vehicle, found a loaded firearm inside, and arrested the driver. The suspect was booked into Santa Rita driver's identity has not been released. The Source California Highway Patrol
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Dayton police plan gunshot detection, drones, plate readers in 3 neighborhoods
Jun. 10—The Dayton Police Department proposes to use controversial gunshot-detection technology, drones and license plate readers to try to reduce crime in several hotspot neighborhoods in west and northwest Dayton. The Dayton Police Department recently was awarded $450,000 in grant funding from the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. The police department received the second largest award in the state in the latest funding round. An executive summary of the city's application for funding says the grant money will be used to combat crime in the Miami Chapel, North Riverdale and Residence Park neighborhoods, which all saw a significant increase in violent crime last year. Miami Chapel is south of U.S. 35 in West Dayton and includes the DeSoto Bass housing complex. Residence Park is west of Gettysburg Avenue and north of Third Street. North Riverdale is east of Main Street and north of Ridge Avenue. A Dayton Daily News investigation that was published in April found that Miami Chapel, North Riverdale and Residence Park were among the city neighborhoods with the most gun crimes in 2024. The police department's application for funding says these three neighborhoods had 89 gun-related crimes last year, including 30 aggravated robberies and 10 killings and cases of "nonnegligent manslaughter." A project description included in the grant funding application says the police department plans to purchase three Flock gunshot detection systems, 27 license plate reader systems and one Flock safety drone that will serve as a first responder. Police have installed fixed license plate readers in various neighborhoods around the city, and police vehicles also are equipped with the technology, which scans license plates and issues alerts, like if the vehicles are reported stolen. The police department previously used a controversial ShotSpotter gunshot-detection system, but the city decided not renew the contract when it expired at the end of 2022. The project description says gunshot detection technology will help police with rapid response, evidence collection and data analysis to develop targeted interventions. Critics of the technology say it is unreliable and has not been proven to reduce shootings, violence and other crime. Critics say the the technology issues alerts that send officers to locations of alleged gunshots without any other information, which potentially can lead to unnecessary and unjustified pat downs, investigatory stops and arrests. Police say drones as first responders provide aerial surveillance, rapid response and real-time intelligence. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Dayton police plan gunshot detection, drones, plate readers in 3 neighborhoods
Jun. 10—The Dayton Police Department proposes to use controversial gunshot-detection technology, drones and license plate readers to try to reduce crime in several hotspot neighborhoods in west and northwest Dayton. The Dayton Police Department recently was awarded $450,000 in grant funding from the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. The police department received the second largest award in the state in the latest funding round. An executive summary of the city's application for funding says the grant money will be used to combat crime in the Miami Chapel, North Riverdale and Residence Park neighborhoods, which all saw a significant increase in violent crime last year. Miami Chapel is south of U.S. 35 in West Dayton and includes the DeSoto Bass housing complex. Residence Park is west of Gettysburg Avenue and north of Third Street. North Riverdale is east of Main Street and north of Ridge Avenue. A Dayton Daily News investigation that was published in April found that Miami Chapel, North Riverdale and Residence Park were among the city neighborhoods with the most gun crimes in 2024. The police department's application for funding says these three neighborhoods had 89 gun-related crimes last year, including 30 aggravated robberies and 10 killings and cases of "nonnegligent manslaughter." A project description included in the grant funding application says the police department plans to purchase three Flock gunshot detection systems, 27 license plate reader systems and one Flock safety drone that will serve as a first responder. Police have installed fixed license plate readers in various neighborhoods around the city, and police vehicles also are equipped with the technology, which scans license plates and issues alerts, like if the vehicles are reported stolen. The police department previously used a controversial ShotSpotter gunshot-detection system, but the city decided not renew the contract when it expired at the end of 2022. The project description says gunshot detection technology will help police with rapid response, evidence collection and data analysis to develop targeted interventions. Critics of the technology say it is unreliable and has not been proven to reduce shootings, violence and other crime. Critics say the the technology issues alerts that send officers to locations of alleged gunshots without any other information, which potentially can lead to unnecessary and unjustified pat downs, investigatory stops and arrests. Police say drones as first responders provide aerial surveillance, rapid response and real-time intelligence. This story will be updated.
