“Sterling’s leaders listened to residents, took their concerns seriously, and acted to protect the privacy and civil liberties of the people they serve,” Kemp said. “Mayor Merdian, the City Council, Chief Bartel, and the residents who spoke out deserve credit for demonstrating that local government can respond when people raise legitimate concerns about unchecked surveillance.”
Kemp called on every municipality within the 74th District, and communities throughout Illinois, to review and discontinue their use of Flock cameras and similar networked automated license plate reader systems. He also urged the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation during the upcoming veto session prohibiting Flock-style surveillance systems statewide.
“Benjamin Franklin warned, ‘Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.’ That warning is just as relevant in the age of networked surveillance as it was in Franklin’s time,” Kemp said. “Public safety matters, but it must never become a blank check for the government or a private corporation to monitor the movements of law-abiding people.”
“These cameras create a searchable record of where ordinary people travel, often without a warrant, individualized suspicion, or meaningful public oversight,” Kemp continued. “Illinois can support law enforcement and keep our communities safe without allowing private companies to construct a far-reaching surveillance network that records the movements of innocent residents.”
“If the current General Assembly chooses not to introduce and pass legislation ending the use of Flock-style ALPR systems, I will make it a Day One priority when I take office,” Kemp said. “Illinoisans should never be forced to choose between public safety and their constitutional liberties. Responsible government must protect both.”
Kemp has consistently called for statewide action against mass surveillance and stronger protections for the privacy and constitutional rights of Illinois residents.
