ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A divided and often tense Rockford City Council meeting stretched for nearly two hours Monday night before aldermen voted to approve additional automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and intersection cameras from Flock Safety, a move that drew strong pushback from many residents in attendance.
The meeting drew a packed crowd, with emotions running high enough that several people were removed from the chambers. Opponents of the expansion argued that the technology threatens civil liberties, risks misuse of personal data, and erodes trust between residents and law enforcement.
“This is an infringement on our Fourth Amendment right,” one speaker told the council, adding that while phones already track users, individuals at least have the ability to control their own settings. “Evil prevails when good men do nothing.”…