West Chicago officer on leave after internal review flags possible unauthorized Flock camera use

First reported: September 1, 2026 · 2 sources

The West Chicago Police Department said an internal review turned up indications that an unnamed officer made unauthorized use of the city's Flock automated license plate reader system between late 2024 and early 2025. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, which the department described as a nondisciplinary step pending further review. The department asked the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office to independently investigate whether any criminal conduct occurred, and is separately conducting an internal investigation into possible policy violations or employment action. No findings have been announced and no charges have been reported.

Why this matters

The case tests whether audit logs and internal review can reliably catch improper ALPR searches, and how agencies respond when they do — a question facing every department that has adopted the technology.

Key facts

Suspected unauthorized use occurred between late 2024 and early 2025, according to the department; the officer has not been named.
The department requested an independent review by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and opened its own internal investigation.
West Chicago said a broader audit will examine training, oversight and safeguards for Flock and other investigative software.
The department has not said how many arrests the city's Flock system has assisted.
The Washington Post has reported that at least 69 officers nationally have been placed on leave, fired or charged over Flock misuse; stalking of romantic partners is a recurring pattern.

Sources

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

West Chicago police officer on leave after police review finds evidence of Flock cameras abuse (Shaw Local, September 1, 2026)
Cop Placed On Leave For Possible Flock Camera Misuse In West Chicago (Patch, September 1, 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 9, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.