Police in Forest Park, Illinois, disclosed license plate reader data to immigration authorities, as revealed in a recent audit.

Forest Park Police Department Halts Data Sharing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection

In a significant move towards ensuring compliance with Illinois state law, the Forest Park Police Department has been ordered to stop sharing license plate data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This directive comes from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, following an investigation that uncovered a violation of state law.

According to Secretary Giannoulias, the data sharing between the Forest Park Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection was a breach of Illinois state law. The revelation came to light after an audit conducted by Giannoulias revealed that the Forest Park Police Department was granting CBP access to its license plate data.

This is not the first instance of such a violation. Last week, it was discovered that Flock Safety, a license plate reader company, had given border patrol agents access to its cameras across Illinois. In response, Flock Safety has suspended its cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Illinois.

The Forest Park Police Department, however, has not responded to requests for comment from ABC7. U.S. Customs and Border Protection previously had access to license plate data from the Forest Park Police Department, but this access has been terminated due to the order of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.

Any data sharing capabilities between the Forest Park Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been shut off. The Forest Park Police Department's actions in sharing license plate data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection are now subject to the regulations of Illinois state law.

Secretary Giannoulias has taken a firm stance on this matter, emphasising the importance of upholding state law. He states that the Forest Park Police Department's sharing of license plate data with U.S. Customs and Border Protection was a significant breach of Illinois state law.

This action by Secretary Giannoulias marks a step towards strengthening the privacy rights of Illinois residents and ensuring that law enforcement agencies operate within the confines of the law. As more information becomes available, ABC7 will continue to follow this developing story.

Police in Forest Park, Illinois, disclosed license plate reader data to immigration authorities, as revealed in a recent audit.