DeFlock Wheaton, IL
A dedicated look at the expansion of automated mass surveillance in our community, why personal privacy matters, and how we can protect our constitutional liberties together.
Mass surveillance across our streets
Flock cameras have quietly created an interconnected national monitoring network where any vehicle can be tracked at any time without a warrant. Wheaton currently operates 64 Flock cameras. Each device captures between 30 and 100 high-resolution images per capture event, using artificial intelligence to catalog details like make, model, license plate, bumper stickers, dents, and roof racks, and more that include time, date, and location.
These scans feed directly into a shared cloud database. Because permission is granted easily, just one button click away, data networks interconnect across participating agencies. Wheaton is presently linked to 1,307 other jurisdictions.
Protecting privacy alongside public safety
Cameras initially introduced under the banner of crime solving have expanded beyond their initial scope into continuous monitoring of law-abiding residents going about everyday life. Our local police department already possesses a robust suite of law enforcement tools to protect Wheaton safely and effectively.
We have a fundamental right not to be surveilled without a warrant. Communities across the nation have reevaluated these agreements and canceled their contracts, and Wheaton should take the same step to end overreaching mass monitoring.
Take action for Wheaton's future
Creating real change starts with civic awareness and action. As you drive around Wheaton, take note of the cameras mounted along our corridors and observe how widespread they have become. Talk with family, friends, and neighbors about what prolonged surveillance means for civil liberties.
Kim Alanis is running for Wheaton City Council At-Large to champion resident rights and advocate directly from within city leadership to end local Flock camera contracts. Support the nomination petition to ensure balanced representation and accountability in our local government.
Articles Related to Flock Cameras
1. Amber Newell, Milwaukee/Brookfield, WI (August 2026), from The Washington Times
A Wisconsin woman was pulled over at gunpoint twice within 10 days after a Milwaukee police detective failed to remove a homicide-related alert tied to her car from a national law enforcement database, leaving it visible to a Flock license-plate camera. On Aug. 6, Brookfield officers surrounded her vehicle on I-94 with weapons drawn, and video showed a passenger holding both hands out the window as instructed. Milwaukee police admitted it was a data error, and her civil rights attorney planned to file a notice of claim against the city.
2. Steven Melvin, Lake Wylie, SC (February 2024), from Military.com
Melvin, a 42-year-old Iraq War veteran, sued the York County Sheriff's Office and three officers after a Flock-triggered stop, alleging excessive force, false imprisonment and negligence. The camera misread one letter on his plate and matched it to a stolen BMW. He was ordered to kneel with his hands over his head for more than five minutes before deputies confirmed his car wasn't stolen. One notable detail: court filings show Flock cameras had correctly read the same plate 13 times before that stop. The case is still pending, and the sheriff's office denies violating his rights and has asked a federal judge to dismiss it.
3. Couple with newborn, Sherwood, AR (February 2026), from KATV
A Flock camera misread an SUV's plate, and officers detained an innocent couple at gunpoint while their six-week-old baby sat alone in a car seat in the back. The stop is on bodycam, and the officer can be heard admitting the cameras aren't perfect. The IJ piece is also useful beyond this case: its review of media reports and court records found at least 27 such cases since 2018, most of them since 2023, and each entry links to its original source.
4. NEWS: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Merkley Unveil Ban Flock Act to Protect Americans’ Right to Privacy (October 2, 2026)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today released the Ban Flock Act, legislation to put an end to the rise in AI-powered surveillance cameras that track Americans across the country. The Ban Flock Act would prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and block federal funding from state and local governments that use this technology.