Giannoulias to crack down on Illinois agencies sharing license plate reader data with other states

CHICAGO (WAND) — Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias plans to crack down on Illinois agencies sharing automatic license plate reader data unlawfully.

In May, The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Mount Prospect police had illegally shared automatic license plate reader information with a Texas sheriff searching for a woman seeking an abortion. The paper said that the same department has also shared "license plate data in hundreds of immigration-related cases in violation of a state law that took effect last year."

During Thursday's conference Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced new measures aimed at "preventing further abuse."

The Secretary of State’s office instructed Flock Safety, which operates the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) network, to immediately shut off access for the out-of-state authorities illegally using the system. The office has also contacted the Illinois Attorney General’s office to investigate and is establishing an audit system to ensure any law enforcement entity using an ALPR in Illinois is adhering to the law.

Under the act, which took effect in 2024, law enforcement agencies must attest that ALPR data will not be used to prosecute or enforce another state’s laws pertaining to abortion care or immigration status. If a law enforcement agency violates this agreement, they jeopardize their access to Illinois ALPR data and eligibility for federal and state grants.

In 2023, the secretary of state spearheaded first-of-its-kind legislation to prevent law enforcement agencies in other states from using ALPR cameras to track or punish people seeking abortion care or to criminalize a person’s immigration status.

At the time, sponsors told reporters that some Republican-led states have used automatic license plate readers as a tool to hunt down people seeking abortion and other reproductive healthcare.

"We created an island on which every human being is recognized and given the dignity of controlling their own body and their own destiny," said Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago). "That includes people who are traveling into the state of Illinois to seek legal healthcare services."

The law still lets police to use ALPR technology for investigating felonies, carjackings, vehicle thefts and missing person alerts, but protects a person’s right to abortion access and prevents attempts to criminalize a person’s immigration status.