Secretary of state's office says law enforcement using license plate reader data illegally
The Illinois secretary of state's office said Thursday it will conduct an audit of the state's automated license plate reader system after it was allegedly used illegally by law enforcement in Texas to track down a woman for an abortion care-related matter.
A state law last year restricted the sale, sharing and access of its license plate reader data by law enforcement when it interferes with someone's abortion rights, particularly if the person comes to Illinois from out of state.
While license plate readers can be used by law enforcement to investigate violent felonies and missing person cases, the state law also prohibits use of the data for matters including to aid in the detention or investigation of a person based on their immigration status.
According to the secretary of state's office, Texas law enforcement authorities in May performed a nationwide search of more than 83,000 license plate reader cameras — which can be found on squad cars, street lights and along highways — to find a woman they said had a self-administered abortion. Almost all abortions are illegal in Texas while Illinois has numerous protections for women seeking to undergo the procedure.
The Texas authorities managed 'to find a way to circumvent the law and collect Illinois license plate data illegally,' Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said during a news conference Thursday.
'This demonstrates a broader, problematic trend of other states leveraging this emerging technology, extending their reach beyond their jurisdictions to surveil and hunt down law-abiding individuals,' Giannoulias said.
While abortion is clearly a partisan issue, Giannoulias denied politics were at play in his decision to call for an audit.
'This is about protecting personal data,' the Chicago Democrat said. 'This is not about Democrat versus Republican. This is about protecting this information, and it's about abiding by Illinois law.'
The search from Texas authorities included cameras in Mount Prospect, the secretary of state's office said. The northwest suburb's Police Department's license plate reader settings 'provided a gateway into Illinois' system operated by (Flock Safety, the service that operates the license plate reader network in question) for an unauthorized use, despite the Texas police stating that the reason for the search was related to abortion care.'
In addition, between Jan. 14 and April 30, there were 262 searches for immigration-related matters in Mount Prospect alone, the secretary of state's office said.
Neither officials from the Mount Prospect Police Department nor the Johnson County, Texas, sheriff's office, which investigated the case involving the woman, were immediately available for comment Thursday.
The secretary of state's office said it instructed Flock Safety to immediately shut off access for out-of-state authorities to use the system illegally. As of Wednesday, Giannoulias said, the service had 'identified 46 individual out-of-state agencies' who violated the law, and their access has been shut off.
Giannoulias' office said in a statement it has also contacted the Illinois attorney general's office to investigate the matter 'and is establishing an audit system with additional safeguards to ensure any law enforcement entity using (a license plate reader system) in Illinois is adhering to the law.'
According to Sarah Garza Resnick, CEO of Personal PAC, an abortion rights group, law enforcement charged at least 210 pregnant people for 'conduct related to pregnancy, pregnancy loss or birth' in the first year after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, leaving regulations of the procedure up to individual states. On Thursday, Resnick said 114 of these cases 'involved family-policing,' such as the woman in the Texas case. There's no indication the woman ended up seeking abortion care in Illinois.
'If this woman didn't want her family involved in her health care decision, she has every right to (keep) her privacy,' Resnick said. 'And despite what anti-abortion politicians want, she has every right to travel freely and across our country.'
Under the law, police agencies could jeopardize their access to Illinois license plate reader data if they use it to prosecute or enforce another state's laws pertaining to abortion care or for inquires about someone's immigration status. Violating the law could also jeopardize the agencies' well as their eligibility for federal and state grants.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
12 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Authorities still searching for suspect in shooting of 2 Minnesota state lawmakers
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A massive search stretched into its second day Sunday for a man who authorities say wore a mask and posed as a police officer while fatally shooting a Democratic state lawmaker in her suburban Minneapolis home, an act Gov. Tim Walz called 'a politically motivated assassination.' Authorities said the suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was trying to flee the area. Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday. Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away. Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They shared a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Hundreds of law enforcement officers fanned out in the search for the suspect. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said Sunday that authorities believe the shooter hasn't gone far. 'We believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him,' the Democrat said Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'But right now, everyone's on edge here, because we know that this man will kill at a second.' Authorities had not yet given any details on a possible motive. Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other. The attacks prompted warnings to other state elected officials and the cancellation of planned 'No Kings' demonstrations against President Donald Trump, though some went ahead anyway, including one that drew tens of thousands to the State Capitol in St. Paul. Authorities said the suspect had 'No Kings' flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets. A Minnesota official told AP the suspect's writings also contained information targeting prominent lawmakers who have been outspoken in favor of abortion rights. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect's vehicle, and he was believed to still be armed with a pistol, a person familiar with the matter told AP. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' said Walz, a Democrat. He also ordered flags to fly at half-staff in Hortman's honor. 'Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!' President Donald Trump said in a statement. Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans' home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the couple with multiple gunshot wounds. After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to proactively check on Hortman's home. There they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house. 'When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home' and escaped on foot, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. Authorities believe the shooter was wearing a mask when carrying out the attacks, according to a law enforcement official. The FBI released photos of the suspect including an image that appears to show him wearing a mask that covered his face and head, a police uniform, and holding a flashlight. Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Hoffman's home. John and Yvette Hoffman each underwent surgery, according to Walz. Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year's session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth and assumed the title speaker emerita. Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota's status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions — and to protect providers who serve them. Walz called her a 'formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota.' Hortman and her husband had two adult children. The initial autopsy reports from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office gave their cause of death as 'multiple gunshot wounds.' The reports said Melissa Hortman died at the scene while her husband was pronounced dead at the hospital. Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and was chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one daughter. Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board in 2016 and then reappointed in 2019 to a four-year term that expired in 2023, state records show. Corporate records show Boelter's wife filed to create a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. Boelter's wife is listed as president and CEO and he is listed as director of security patrols on the company's website. The website says the company provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest. An online resume says Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota. Around 6 a.m., Boelter texted friends to say he had 'made some choices,' the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. In the messages, read to reporters by David Carlson, Boelter did not specify what he had done but said: 'I'm going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn't gone this way. … I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused.' Klobuchar condemned online threats and urged people Sunday to think twice before posting accusations or motives on the Internet. Speaking of Hortman on CNN, Klobuchar said: 'This is a person that did everything for the right reasons. 'Regardless of political parties, look at her face before you send out your next post,' Klobuchar said. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the killings. The shootings are the latest in a series of attacks against lawmakers across parties. In April a suspect set fire to the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, forcing him and his family to flee during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The suspect said he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents. In July 2024, Trump was grazed on the ear by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later a man with a rifle was discovered near the president's Florida golf course and arrested. Other incidents include a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in their San Francisco home and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and start a civil war. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he asked Capitol Police to 'immediately increase security' for Klobuchar and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith. He also asked Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, to hold a briefing on member security. Speaking Sunday on CNN's 'Inside Politics Sunday,' Smith said she personally felt safe and the thought of security details becoming the norm was unbearable. 'But I think we are at a tipping point right now when we see these kinds of personal threats. It gets worse, not better,' she said. 'I don't want to think that I need to have a personal security detail wherever I go.'
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
1 critically injured in shooting at Salt Lake City 'No Kings' protest
A Florida State Trooper vehicle drives by protestors rallying at the 'No Kings' protest in front of City Hall in downtown Orlando, Florida on Saturday. Photo by Chris Chew/UPI | License Photo June 15 (UPI) -- At least one person was critically injured Saturday in a shooting at a protest against President Donald Trump in Salt Lake City. It came hours after two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were shot dead by a gunman. The "No Kings" protest, one of many that took place across the United States, was attended by some 10,000 people, according to preliminary estimates from the Salt Lake City Police Department. The shooting happened around 7:56 p.m. when officers heard gunshots in front of a luxury high-rise residential building on State Street, a main thoroughfare through the city leading to the Utah State Capitol in an area with local, state and federal government facilities. "Officers responded to the scene and found one person with a critical gunshot wound. Those injuries are considered life-threatening," police said in the news release. With information provided by witnesses, police tracked "one of the involved parties" and arrested him nearby. His identity was also not provided, but he was said to have been taken to a local hospital to be treated for serious injuries from a gunshot wound and remains under police supervision. Two other people were also taken into custody later, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The motives for the shooting are still under investigation and the roles of each of the four people remain unclear, but Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told that it appeared the people were involved "at some level" in the protest. It was also not clear what charges the three people who were detained might face. "I want to urge everyone in the public to be calm, to give one another grace and to look out for one another tonight and in the coming days," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said, as reported by KUER, calling the violence "horrific." Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, called the shooting "a deeply troubling act of violence that has no place in our public square."
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Sen. Klobuchar mourns assassinated Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman as manhunt continues
Sen. Amy Klobuchar remembered fellow Minnesota Democrat Mellissa Hortman, who was fatally shot in her home early Saturday morning alongside her husband, Mark, as a "true public servant." "I just wish everyone in the world, the political world, knew this woman like we know her in Minnesota, loved by Democrats and Republicans," Klobuchar said of Hortman, who was a member of the Minnesota House since 2005. "We started out together in politics, moms with young kids, and somehow she was able to balance getting to know everyone, door knock every house in her district, while raising two children," she continued on NBC's "Meet the Press." Klobuchar said she was at a dinner with Hortman the night before a gunman impersonating a police officer killed her and her husband in an act officials are calling a "politically motivated assassination." A massive manhunt continues Sunday for the suspect, who officials have identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. The suspect also shot State Senator John A. Hoffman, a fellow Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in a separate attack at their home early Saturday morning. Klobuchar said Sunday that the couple was "hanging in there." She said that Hoffman may need "additional surgeries," but he is currently in stable condition. Klobuchar said that authorities believe the suspect could still be in the Midwest, and that they've put out an alert in South Dakota. "We believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him," Klobuchar said. Klobuchar emphasized that if anybody in the public spots the suspect, they should "not approach him." "My concern is that this guy is going to come up against just an innocent, try to take their car, try to go into their house right now," Klobuchar said. "A lot of the political leaders in our state have received extra protection, but not the innocents out there," she added. Authorities discovered a "manifesto" in the suspect's car that included several names of officials and lawmakers. Klobuchar said that she has received additional security without her request.
