Joliet, IL — September 1, 2026 — Joliet Township Highway Commissioner Vincent Alessio has chosen to revoke the permits of Flock Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras on Joliet Township Road District property. As an elected official, Commissioner Alessio swore an oath to protect the constitution of the United States, which includes the right to privacy or unreasonable search by the government.
After careful vetting of ALPR cameras, including a tutorial by Flock, the Road District permitted the cameras. This was done in conversation with the Will County Sheriff’s Office. Although initially having privacy and constitutional concerns, Commissioner Alessio was reassured that the Road District would always have the ability to revoke permits if the concerns were realized.
After a year and a half of use, resident feedback, local abuses, and national news, the concerns initially made are validated. These cameras are a powerful tool that do not have enough oversight on their use, and allow the government to use them in ways that further implicate citizens’ freedom of movement, expression, and privacy.
Flock is a private company with contracts with federal agencies as well as local governments; the use of these cameras is broad and shadowy. After the hack of many federal agencies recently, the possibility exists that citizens’ personal whereabouts are available to any party interested.
With recent news coverage, the Road District wanted the public to have clear reasoning on why the decision was made.
Vincent Alessio
Joliet Township Highway Commissioner