Evesdropping?

Recently I learned about how Seattle Police had deployed a "Mesh Network" that was to aid police in communicating and accessing computer systems from their cars.   Unknown initially at least to the public was this system also snooped on innocent bystanders and is capable of accessing their cell phone data without any permission, court order or any reasonable suspicion of any crime.  Once the public learned of this activity the outcry became so much that Seattle is now busy deactivating parts of this system.

Alarmingly I have noticed certain similarities to the system that’s now deployed in Burr Ridge.  A system that from my perspective was first presented as a voter referendum for a city wide "Mesh Network" that provided police with in-car computer access and other elements including video camera surveillance throughout the village. That referendum was rejected by voters, but the village, over time has deployed parts of this system that I understand are now functioning. 

The similarities of our system to the Seattle system made me wonder if Burr Ridge now has a same intrusive capability as that in Seattle.   I wrote of my concern to our mayor seeking clarification, but sadly he has not responded!  In absence of a reply, my imagination runs wild and now I fear that we’re one-step closer to criminalizing movements or even thoughts in the village.

This concern is just one more item added to the list of items that makes Burr Ridge "A Very Special Place."  A place where trustees have conflicts, where the village spends money it doesn't have, where the accumulated tax rates for the village, parks and fire protection is about THREE TIMES HIGHER than for those same services in Hinsdale, the village invents interesting and convoluted explanations for taking money away from the restricted pathway fund and then spending it on non-pathway projects, the village fails to make adequate contribution to the already seriously underfunded police pension fund, the village has one of the highest paid administrations and has more police officers per household than other nearby villages and builds a magnificent police station that is “sold” to the trustees based on a financial fairy tale.  Yes, I do agree, Burr Ridge is truly "A Very Special Place" and now one that may or may not be spying on its visitors and residents alike…