LOOKOUT ELGIN Community Initiative

Standing Up for Our Right to Privacy In The Name of a BETTER ELGIN!

LOOKOUT ELGIN's Driving Purpose

LOOKOUT ELGIN is a community initiative with the goal of bringing awareness to the continuing installation of ALPR and PTZ cameras, otherwise known as "Automatic License Plate Readers" and "Pan-Tilt-Zoom" cameras.These cameras have been getting continuously installed throught the entire United States. The largest cities in the country such as New York City, Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Chicago have the highest concentration. Elgin is now joining those cities in silent and continuous surveillance.The City Council of Elgin IL has not denied that the City of Elgin owns ALPR cameras, and despite this, has made no efforts to remove or disable them. As a result of this, innocent citizens and families are being recorded without permission, without probable cause, and have the chance of being automatically ticketed as a result of these cameras.Surveillance devices on their own are acceptable in the right circumstances on private and some public land. The issue with these new ALPR and PTZ cameras is that they use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to collect your data, discern your features and behaviors, and profile and store your data on various databases, whether owned by a corporation or by local police departments.These cameras are not without their vulnerabilities. Tech Youtuber Benn Jordan is a surveillance researcher who's research has been cited by US Congress in an open letter to the FTC over the national security threat of Flock Safety camera vulnerabilities. They were able to hack into these cameras in less than 30 seconds, because these cameras have the same functions and faults as typical smartphones, even having 5G connectivity. Because of this and Flock Safety being a $7.5+ Billion company, it's valid to distrust the security of cameras from companies that have far less funds to use on security to be truly secure.On top of this, there is little to no disclosure about 1) the cameras being installed around the city, and 2) how the data is being used, how long it will be stored for, what it will be used for, and if and when it will ever be deleted. The most that can be found are documents stating what systems will be using the cameras, such as DACRA Electronic Citation Services being paired with Genetec's LPR database (City of Elgin Archive File 9696), but these again do not explain the scope of how and when the cameras are being used in their entirety.Because of all of these discrepancies and the invasive nature of these ALPR and PTZ cameras as it relates to average law-abiding citizens, the LOOKOUT ELGIN Community Initiative seeks for higher transparency, higher accountability, and eventually, the removal of ALPR cameras across city streets, so that the citizens of Elgin, IL can live in a city that respects their privacy and right to live without being observed, for that is the better Elgin we seek to create.

SURVEILLANCE CAMERA GALLERY

Listed is the cameras the LOOKOUT ELGIN Community Initiative organizers have found in the City of Elgin up until September 1st, 2026. To the best knowledge and effort, these cameras are found on public property, in public traversal areas, and/or visible from publicly accessible areas. These surveillance cameras are most often found on light posts, building roofs, streetlights, and brick exteriors.The pictures listed below are intended for public awareness and transparency purposes only.
LOOKOUT ELGIN Community Initiative does not endorse trespassing, vandalism, property damage or harassment.Click the picture once to zoom in, click the OpenStreetMaps caption to view the streetmap information.
Streetmap information available via OpenStreetMaps and Deflock.orgRED CIRCLE = Camera Location from standard eye view
BLUE TRIANGLES = Hardware Manufacturer's Logo
GREEN RECTANGLE = "PROPERTY OF CITY OF ELGIN IL 1-847-289-2700" Sticker

  • Number of Cameras with a "Property of City of Elgin IL" sticker: Approximately 17/83

  • Axis Communications Cameras Found: Approximately 42/83

  • Genetec Cameras Found: 6/83

  • Bosch Security Cameras Found: 6/83

  • Pelco Cameras Found: 4/83

Deflock.org Camera Finder

Deflock.org is a community project where users can ping any ALPR, PTZ or AI surveillance cameras in their community to view on a map via GPS. If you see an AI camera that has not been added yet, you can add it to the database below.

^^ Click Here ^^

Find Your Voting Place

The next USA General Election is on November 3rd, 2026.
The next Elgin Municipal Election is on April 6th, 2027.
Both of these elections are more important than ever, as these elected officials will be on the forefront of deciding AI policy, ALPR and PTZ precedence and values of public sentiment. If you believe in building a better Elgin, a better Illinois and a better United States of America, click below to find your nearest polling location.

^^ Click Here ^^

Speak Your Voice at Elgin Town Hall Meetings

The City Council of Elgin holds Town Hall Meetings every other Wednesday starting at 6pm. In these meetings, citizens can hold public comment and speak their concerns involving them and their community. If you would like your voice to be heard--whether it regards AI cameras or beyond--please click the link below to find the calendar for the next Town Hall Meeting Date.
(Note: Please sign up for public comment ten minutes early so you don't miss your chance!)

^^ Click Here ^^

LOOKOUT ELGIN SURVEILLANCE PETITION

An individual might not be able to lift a boulder, but a community can lift mountains. Speak together with us! Make your voice heard on the local level so your community can be the best Elgin it can be!

CONTACT US

Our initiative is dedicated to public awareness, transparency, and communication. If you have any questions or concerns, please CONTACT LOOKOUT ELGIN Community Initiative and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Email: lookoutelgin@gmail.com