Despite recent changes to Riverside’s Flock policies, significant questions remain about the system’s effectiveness, oversight, and control of residents’ information. Four concerns deserve the village board’s attention as it reconsiders the Flock contract. 

First, the FBI’s reported property crime data show no measurable improvement in Riverside community safety since Flock cameras were installed in March 2024. Reported property crimes increased from 61 in 2023 to 68 in 2024 and 90 in 2025. These figures don’t establish what effect Flock had on individual crimes, but they provide no evidence of an overall reduction in property crime. 

Second, in response to residents’ concerns, Riverside has restricted data-sharing to Illinois agencies and shortened its retention period. Those are meaningful changes, but they do not resolve the question of downstream control. Once another agency accesses license plate information, can Riverside ensure it is not retained, copied, or shared further? The village has not demonstrated that it can. 

Third, the village’s review procedures raise another concern: oversight of outside agencies happens after they have already searched Riverside’s data. While Riverside authorizes which agencies can access its system, it does not approve their individual searches in advance, instead relying on subsequent reviews of search logs to identify potential misuse. By then, the information has already been accessed and may have been copied or shared further. Even effective audits cannot undo an improper disclosure. The village needs to explain how this approach provides meaningful control over access to residents’ information. 

Finally, there is the larger question: What kind of relationship does Riverside government want to have with its residents? Flock routinely collects information about people who are suspected of nothing and makes it available through a searchable surveillance network. Government should have a reason to track someone’s movements before collecting information about them, rather than collecting it first in case it becomes useful later. 

The board will reconsider Flock on Oct. 15. The information available raises fundamental questions about effectiveness, oversight, access, and control. 

Riverside should end the contract and remove the cameras. 

Mark Shevitz 

Riverside