Rockford Flock Camera Helps Police Solve Serious Hit-and-Run

A lot of Rockford residents have strong opinions about Flock cameras, and I completely understand the privacy concerns that come with them.

Nobody wants to feel like they're being watched every time they get behind the wheel, but sometimes a story comes along that shows us there are real benefits to having them in our city.

To me, this is one of those stories.

Rockford 15-Year-Old Seriously Injured in Hit-and-Run on Auburn

On Tuesday afternoon, August 18, Rockford Police responded to a hit-and-run near the intersection of Auburn and Bluefield streets after a 15-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle. The teenager was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, while Rockford Police asked the public for help locating the driver who had left the scene.

READ MORE: How to Check If Your License Plate Has Been Flocked

Today, Rockford Police provided the update many Rockford residents were hoping for: the driver police say was responsible has been identified, located, and arrested...thanks in part to a Flock automatic license plate reader.

According to the Rockford Police Department release:

Using a Flock ALPR (automatic license plate reader), Rockford Police Traffic Investigators identified the vehicle involved, and subsequently located the vehicle and driver, Christopher Barnes.

 

Winnebago County Sheriff's Office

Barnes faces charges including failing to report an accident involving personal injury, failure to give information or render aid, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle causing bodily harm.

I'm not saying this one incident suddenly means everyone should love license plate reader cameras. There are legitimate questions about privacy, how the technology is used and what safeguards should be in place.

But it's also hard to ignore what happened here.

A teenage girl was seriously injured. Someone allegedly left the scene. Police needed to figure out what vehicle was involved and who was behind the wheel, and a Flock automatic license plate reader helped them do exactly that.

For the family of that 15-year-old, I'm guessing the most important thing isn't whether Rockford has Flock cameras. It's knowing that police found the person investigators believe was responsible.

I know many people will disagree, but maybe, in situations like this, Flock ALPRs can help find answers when someone needs them most.