Elgin Community College Fights Flock Over Cameras
Elgin Community College found itself in a prolonged standoff with Flock Safety after the institution attempted to remove security cameras over data sharing and security concerns.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Installation and Growing Concerns
In April of 2025, Elgin Community College had six Flock safety cameras installed to enhance the safety and security of students. However, the initial optimism surrounding the security upgrade quickly faded as the administration reviewed the operational practices tied to the devices. Further details are available from The Verge in the original source material.
By September of that year, the school's administration grew concerned that Flock was sharing data with Customs and Border Patrol, that camera feeds were not properly secured, and that both law enforcement and the company’s employees were abusing access to the data.
Contract Cancellation Attempts and Rejection
Faced with mounting concerns regarding privacy and security practices, Elgin Community College took formal steps to terminate its relationship with the vendor.
So in October of 2025, Elgin Community College requested Flock to remove its cameras. According to Elgin’s President Peggy Heinrich, Flock rejected the request, saying it had not violated its contract. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, school officials reached out again in December, offered to pay for the remaining five months of the contract, and still requested that the cameras be removed. They were met with silence.
The Battle of the Trash Bags
When official channels failed to yield a resolution, the dispute escalated into a bizarre physical standoff on campus grounds.
Heinrich said Elgin Community College staff began to cover the cameras using black trash bags and zip ties so that they would not be able to capture footage. But workers in an unmarked vehicle, which Heinrich assumed belonged to Flock, repeatedly removed the coverings.
The situation turned into a repetitive game of action and reaction between college personnel and service crews.
"We were kind of in a back and forth for a bit where we’d cover, and then when they’d come to service, they’d remove," Heinrich said. "Then we’d cover and then they’d remove."
Contract Expiration and Resolution
The unconventional back-and-forth persisted for months as both sides maintained their respective positions regarding the surveillance equipment installed across the campus.
This continued until April of this year when the college’s contract expired, and Flock finally removed the cameras, bringing an end to the contentious chapter between the educational institution and the tech provider.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding automated license plate recognition technology, data sharing policies, and the challenges institutions face when attempting to sever ties with third-party security vendors.
Sources
- The VergeA college in Illinois tried to cancel its Flock contact and it refused
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