To the Editor,
As a healthcare professional, a legal nurse consultant, and a long-time resident of Galva, I have been closely following the discussion surrounding the implementation of automated surveillance technology, such as Flock license plate readers, right here in our communities.
Recently, public concerns regarding privacy have been met with a familiar, dismissive defense from local leadership: If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.
In medicine, we know this logic is fundamentally flawed. When a patient walks into a clinic or a hospital, we do not bypass informed consent just because they are healthy or have “nothing to hide.”
Consent is not something you forfeit just by existing in public spaces. Privacy is not about hiding wrongdoing; it is about autonomy, boundaries, and retaining control over your own personal data.
The surveillance systems being deployed are not passive, temporary observations. They involve automated data-collection and multi-state sharing pipelines that track daily movements, creating permanent digital footprints of ordinary citizens without their explicit, informed consent. When public officials brush off legitimate questions with flippant rhetoric, it reveals a profound lack of transparency and respect for the very people they represent.
Our community deserves better than closed-door rollouts and dismissive attitudes. We deserve accountability, clear answers on who has access to our data and a public voice in decisions that permanently alter our local privacy rights.
Sincerely,
Amanda Stodgel
RN, BSN, CNIV, CLNC
Galva, Ill.
