Nearly a year after saying it would evaluate its Flock Safety license plate reader cameras, the Galesburg Police Department is standing behind the program — responding to a resident who petitioned the City Council this week for a public review.
The concern
Marian Spurgeon spoke during public comment at Monday’s City Council meeting and submitted a petition with 20 signatures asking the city to review its Flock Safety contract, publish its findings, allow for public comment, and either strengthen data privacy protections or cancel the contract.
Spurgeon said Flock Safety operates more like a data brokerage than a simple license plate reader, collecting information about vehicle movements and associations on all drivers — not just people who break the law.
“By default, this information is shared broadly across some 7,000-plus agencies and organizations and is searchable through AI with natural language,” she said.
She cited an August 2025 audit by the Illinois Secretary of State that found Flock’s broad data sharing violated state law, and raised concerns about what she described as security vulnerabilities in the Flock network demonstrated by an independent audit.
“I am not against the use of technology in policing,” Spurgeon said. “However, I do think we need to have a wider discussion between the community and the city about Flock, and how we use surveillance technology.”
The police chief’s response
Chief Kevin Legate responded to a WGIL inquiry through the city’s public information office with a full statement:
“The Galesburg Police Department remains steadfast in our commitment to keeping our community safe. While technology, such as Flock cameras, plays a role in that process, we understand the use of the license plate reader cameras may raise valid questions regarding privacy and data security. We take these concerns seriously and work to ensure our use of the technology creates a safer community, while being vigilant in data security.”
Legate said the cameras capture only a point-in-time image of the rear of vehicles on public roadways. No personal information — name, date of birth, or address — is associated with the photos collected and stored, he said. The department does not share its data with any federal agency and does not open data-sharing with any non-law enforcement or privately owned camera systems.
He said Flock has maintained there has been no data breach in its network and has changed its search features for out-of-state agencies since questions arose about data sharing last year.
“Since our initial review of the Flock cameras, GPD has further enhanced our internal use and audit procedures,” Legate said. “In addition, we are currently working towards the launch of a public access portal, which will provide an overview for citizens of system usage.”
Results since 2024
Since March 2024, Legate said the cameras have contributed to 49 significant outcomes, including arrests, the recovery of four stolen vehicles, investigative leads, and the execution of warrants.
He cited one specific case: Flock cameras in Galesburg and the Quad Cities area were instrumental in identifying a registered sex offender at Lake Storey who was attempting to lure children.
“This is a direct example of how these tools protect our most vulnerable residents,” Legate said.
Galesburg operates 10 of the 24 law enforcement Flock cameras currently in Knox County. Legate said the regional network helps make the area a less attractive target for criminals operating across jurisdictional lines.
“At the end of the day, public safety is a dynamic field, and the Galesburg Police Department will continue to monitor the evolution of this technology to ensure the system enhances community safety while upholding individual privacy protections,” Legate said.
Background
The Galesburg City Council approved the purchase of five Flock Safety cameras in December 2023 on a 5-2 vote. The department now operates 10 cameras. In August 2025, WGIL reported that the department was reviewing its use of the cameras following the Illinois Secretary of State’s allegations against Flock Safety. Read that story here.
Spurgeon said she spoke with council members individually before Monday’s meeting and dropped off the petition in advance.
