Joliet officer and dispatcher placed on paid leave over alleged Flock system misuse

First reported: September 5, 2026 · 4 sources

The Joliet Police Department said it placed a sworn officer and a dispatcher on paid administrative leave over alleged misuse of Flock Safety technology. The department referred the matter to the Joliet Inspector General and asked the Illinois State Police to conduct an independent review. Officials did not describe the nature of the alleged misuse and said the investigation is ongoing.

Why this matters

Access to automated license plate reader systems is typically logged but rarely audited in real time, and this case tests whether internal referrals and outside review can substantiate or clear allegations of improper searches.

Key facts

Two Joliet Police Department members — one sworn officer and one dispatcher — were placed on paid administrative leave.
The case was referred to the Joliet Inspector General and to the Illinois State Police for an independent review.
The department said it would strengthen policies on the technology and conduct department-wide audits.
No details of the alleged misuse were released; the allegations have not been adjudicated and the investigation remains open.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

2 Joliet PD members on leave for alleged misuse of Flock Safety Technology (WGN-TV, September 5, 2026)
2 members of Joliet Police Department on leave for alleged misuse of Flock camera technology (Abc7 Chicago, September 5, 2026)
Joliet officer, dispatcher on leave over alleged Flock system misuse (Nbc Chicago, September 5, 2026)
Joliet officer, dispatcher on leave over alleged Flock system misuse (Headtopics, September 5, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated September 7, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.