SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois’ Republican gubernatorial candidate is speaking out against a tool used for fighting crime.
In a Facebook post on July 9th, Darren Bailey came out against Flock, calling it a “mass surveillance network.” Flock is a license-plate reader technology that helps track vehicles suspected of crimes.
Bailey continued his post by saying that “the government shouldn’t be tracking the daily movements of law-abiding citizens without individualized suspicion or a warrant.” He adds that while he’s not against law enforcement, he’s against the use of Flock because he opposes a “surveillance state.”
The criticism drew a response the following day from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
In a statement, the ILACP says the automatic license plate reader technology is “one of the most effective investigative tools available to Illinois law enforcement agencies.
The ILACP says Flock or similar systems is “not a surveillance system,” and only captures rear-license plates. It adds that the technology has helped investigations involving homicides, drive-by shootings, and child abductions.
The statement concluded by saying it does not track individuals, use facial recognition, monitor private spaces, or collect personal information.
Comments