Wilmette to decide on Flock camera contract renewal in November

31 August 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]

The Village of Wilmette is preparing to decide whether to renew its contract with Flock Safety, Inc., which operates 22 automated license plate reader cameras across the village. The Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet on September 10 and again in October to prepare a report for the Village Board's consideration in November, ahead of the contract's December 2026 expiration.

Wilmette entered into its initial agreement with Flock Safety in 2022. According to village statements, the cameras assist with criminal investigations into jailable offenses under federal or state law. Officials say the system does not identify drivers or passengers, use facial recognition, record conversations, monitor private property, or collect personal information about motorists. The village also stated the data is not used to enforce local ordinance violations, traffic violations, immigration violations, or reproductive health care restrictions.

All ALPR data is retained for 30 days before being purged unless it is or reasonably will become evidence in a criminal action or is subject to a lawful order to produce records. Village authorities stated the data is not sold or shared with third parties and has never been shared with out-of-state or federal law enforcement agencies. Wilmette police reported the system has provided alerts related to fraud, retail theft, commercial burglary, and vehicular hijacking, though many alerts do not result in stops or arrests.

Residents can check their own municipality's ALPR contract status by reviewing public meeting agendas, tracking contract expiration dates in purchasing records, and requesting copies of data use policies and retention procedures.

Read the original reporting: Wilmette-Kenilworth, IL Patch.