MILWAUKEE — Agencies across southeast Wisconsin are rethinking their use of Flock cameras — technology that collects license plate data and is only supposed to be used for criminal investigations.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office is removing Flock cameras and ending its contract over data concerns. Fond du Lac County is also ending its use of Flock over concerns about investigative data being disclosed. Sheboygan has covered its cameras and plans to end its contract with Flock after concerns arose about how the company was using city data. Kenosha began moving away from Flock in January, transitioning to Axon.
In Milwaukee, Flock cameras remain in place, but the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office launched a public portal on Friday that provides insight into how Flock is used.
TMJ4 showed the new portal to a couple of Milwaukee residents. Watch the story in the video below:
"That could honestly be the only step needed. It's just like keeping people informed, is probably the best way to go," Isabelle, a UW-Milwaukee student, said.
"I mean, they are rather invasive but I think with stuff like this people can, you know, get research and they know what it's about," said Vincent Bartley, another UW-Milwaukee student.
"Anything that provides citizens an opportunity to learn more and to interact, and and especially to provide their own input as well, I think is a positive thing," Edward Purcell, a Milwaukee resident, said.
Milwaukee also released new rules this week for using Flock data, including limiting access to supervisors only.
The changes come after two former Milwaukee Police Department officers were criminally charged with allegedly using Flock for personal reasons. A Milwaukee woman was also pulled over at gunpoint in Brookfield after her vehicle was incorrectly flagged by Flock. Brookfield alders are now calling for a legislative review of the technology.
Purcell said he still wants Flock removed from Milwaukee, even with the portal working to bring more transparency.
"I think it gets too far in terms of encroaching on our privacy," Purcell said.
When asked if the portal was enough to make him trust the system, Purcell said: "No, no, not at all."
As many agencies move away from Flock, Milwaukee is keeping the cameras in place while making more information available to the public.
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