Latest news with #MountProspectPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas police 'abused' license plate data for immigration search, Illinois police say
A Texas law enforcement agency reportedly used license plate data shared by a Chicago-area police department in locating a woman for immigration enforcement purposes, despite Illinois state law prohibiting such use. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office allegedly used data from Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) — also referred to as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) — through Flock Safety, a private company. The "National Lookup" feature is used by law enforcement agencies "for purposes of immigration enforcement." The Illinois Secretary of State's Office notified the Mount Prospect Police Department that it was among multiple other law enforcement agencies whose data was used by the Texas department. "The use of ALPR data collected by Mount Prospect Flock Safety cameras for this purpose does not align with the Mount Prospect Police Department's values and is a clear violation of Illinois state law," the Chicago department stated in a press release. A site called 404 Media shows the Johnson County Sheriff's Office requested data from 83,000 of Flock Safety's cameras, including those in Mount Prospect. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is requesting an investigation into the incident by the attorney general, The Independent reports. He says he is also making an audit system to prevent similar uses of ALPR data in the future. A 2023 Illinois law prohibits the sharing of license plate data to track undocumented immigrants or people seeking abortions. A total of 262 immigrant-related searches were made between mid-January and April in Mount Prospect alone, Giannoulias said. Deputy Secretary of State Scott Burnham warned that such violations could lead to the loss of state funding. Giannoulias says he requested that Flock Safety block access to 62 out-of-state agencies seeking data related to abortion or immigration. The ALPR company also created a program to flag access requests with the terms "abortion" and "immigration" and deny the requests. Finally, law enforcement agencies will be required to respect the secretary of state's audits with the goal of noting trends in certain requests, Burnham explained. "I am tremendously upset that some law enforcement agencies who agreed to follow Illinois law, in order to gain access to our ALPR data, conducted illegal searches violating the trust of our community," Chief of Police Michael Eterno said. "As disappointed as I am with these other agencies, I want to emphasize that no member of the Mount Prospect Police Department shared ALPR data in violation of the law. I realize that this misuse of Mount Prospect's ALPR data violates the trust of our community, and we as a department will continue to work to enhance the Flock ALPR software and ensure this abuse does not occur in the future." Following the incident with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, the Mount Prospect Police Department said it has made, or plans to make, several changes to prevent similar incidents in the future, including opted out of the Flock Safety "National Lookup" feature cancelled any data sharing agreement with law enforcement agencies who violated Illinois state law revoked access to Mount Prospect's ALPR data for all law enforcement agencies outside of Illinois will be updating its ALPR policy to include regular audits of the searches being conducted by internal and external users As of Friday morning, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office had not issued a public statement about the incident. The name of the individual who was the focus of the search has not been disclosed to the public. Flock Safety has released a statement amid what it calls "a misunderstanding." The ALPR company indicated contact with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office regarding the incident in Illinois, seeking to correct "misreporting" that the program was used "to target people seeking reproductive healthcare." The Sheriff allegedly told Flock Safety that this "is unequivocally false." "According to the Sheriff's office, a local family called and said their relative had self-administered an abortion, and then she ran away," Flock Safety said. "Her family feared she was hurt, and asked the deputy to search for her to the best of their abilities. Law enforcement performed a nationwide search in Flock, the broadest search possible within the system, to try to locate her quickly. Luckily, she was found safe and healthy in Dallas a couple of days later." The woman faces no charges and was never under criminal investigation, the ALPR company added, saying that Texas police were looking for her as a missing person rather than as a crime suspect. "We're grateful for the opportunity to work with Illinois officials to clarify what happened, correct misconceptions, and implement lasting improvements that uphold the trust of both law enforcement agencies and the residents they serve." — The Independent contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas police use of license plate data under investigation in Illinois
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois 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.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
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.
