The Springfield City Council just spent significant time on whether to keep paying over $500,000 for Flock license plate reader cameras — and the conversation went way beyond crime stats.
In this meeting:
- The police department credits the cameras and other tech with helping cut shootings from 48 last year to just six so far this year.
- Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory presses hard on whether Springfield is becoming a “surveillance city,” asking for clear policies, regular data reports, and real investment in lighting, housing, and other basics in high-violence neighborhoods.
- Ken Pacha warns that a private company, not just the police, controls this data — raising concerns about data brokers, abortion and immigration enforcement, and how easily these tools can be abused.
If you care about both safety and privacy in Springfield, this debate is worth watching.
