Elmhurst renewed its Flock Safety license plate reader camera contract with a unanimous City Council vote on July 20, but the county is taking a more cautious path. DuPage County's Legislative Committee directed staff on Aug. 4 to invite State's Attorney Robert Berlin to present the legal pros and cons of the surveillance technology before the county moves forward.
The two actions highlight a growing split: Elmhurst police defend the cameras as essential crime-fighting tools, while county lawmakers want a legal reality check as state legislation on Flock cameras remains pending in Springfield.
What Elmhurst decided
The City Council's July 20 renewal passed without opposition, according to Patch. Alderwoman Noel Talluto was absent. A resident raised privacy concerns at the meeting, prompting Alderman Jacob Hill to call for discussion before the vote.
Police Chief Michael McLean told the council that Elmhurst controls its own Flock data and does not share it with out-of-state or federal agencies.
"We only share data with other Illinois municipal law enforcement agencies," McLean said. "We don't share data out of state. We don't share data with any federal law enforcement agencies."
McLean said the department has used automated plate readers for about a decade, switching from Motorola to Flock over quality and cost concerns. The program has received funding from the Illinois Attorney General's Organized Retail Crime Grant, according to a June 22 Public Affairs and Safety Committee report.
What the county is doing
At the Aug. 4 Legislative Committee meeting, Chair Dawn DeSart reported that Flock camera guardrails were a top concern among Illinois counties she met with through the Illinois Association of County Officials during the board's summer break. After committee discussion, DeSart directed staff member Kate Kissane to explore inviting Berlin to a future meeting to lay out the legal landscape.
No date has been set for Berlin's presentation.
The same day, at the separate Judicial and Public Safety Committee meeting, DeSart flagged pending state Flock camera legislation and County Board member Jim Zay requested that a Flock-related item be added to the next full County Board agenda, according to committee minutes.
Berlin has publicly defended the technology. In a statement around Aug. 1 announcing charges against three men accused of stealing five Flock cameras in Lisle, Berlin called plate readers "a critical tool used by law enforcement under strict statutory guidelines" and said they are not "'big brother' surveillance tools."
Lobbying contracts head to finance
The Legislative Committee also approved two lobbying contracts totaling $147,000 to represent DuPage County before the Illinois General Assembly. Marquardt & Humes, Inc. will receive up to $94,500 for the period Sept. 15, 2026, through Sept. 14, 2027. Raucci & Sullivan Strategies, LLC will receive up to $52,500 for Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2027. Both are second-of-three optional renewals and were sent to the Finance Committee for final approval.
Both contracts cover DuPage County's full legislative agenda, which includes monitoring pending Flock camera legislation in Springfield.
What's next
Berlin's presentation to the Legislative Committee has not been scheduled. The next full DuPage County Board meeting is expected to include a Flock camera agenda item at Zay's request.
