The Milwaukee Police Department has agreed to major new changes on how officers can use Flock Safety cameras, following the criminal charges of two former officers accused of misusing the technology for personal reasons.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson's office says MPD has agreed to limit Flock Safety camera database searches to supervisors only. Until recently, more than 600 officers had access to the system.
Under the new agreement, officers and detectives will need a supervisor to search for a vehicle involved in a criminal investigation.
MPD will also restrict use of the database to investigations of serious crimes only — including shootings, rape, robbery, drug trafficking and abductions. The department will also no longer share data from Milwaukee's Flock cameras with other law enforcement agencies.
MPD has 31 cameras throughout the city. The cameras snap photos of the back of every vehicle that passes, with images stored for 30 days. The technology is only supposed to be used for criminal investigations.
Two former MPD officers have been criminally charged with misusing the system for personal reasons — including a Milwaukee police officer and an MPD internal affairs detective.
Mayor Johnson addressed the misuse and the importance of accountability.
"I think it's important for police officers to have access to these tools, I want them to have access to these tools, but I want them to do it in the right way. But when they don't do it in the City of Milwaukee, those folks have been held to account and I support that," Johnson said.
District 4 Alder Bob Bauman weighed the broader debate around the technology.
"The argument is whether the argument whether the utility and the public safety benefits outweigh the privacy concerns and the potential for abuse. I mean, that's the scale," Bauman said.
Milwaukee residents offered mixed reactions to the new rules.
"I'm glad they are regulating them because having those tools out there, people are going to misuse them eventually. So as long as people can be held accountable and kept tracked, I am all for it," MSOE student Ryan LeMay said.
"I think it's a step in the right direction if we have to keep them. I think it was a bad investment in the first place though," Milwaukee resident Allyn Lottouzee said.
Milwaukee resident Zoe Jenkins said she remains uneasy with the cameras overall, despite the new limits.
"It is better having less people being able to look at the details from flock cameras. It's still, I honestly flock cameras in general make me uncomfortable," Jenkins said.
Police say the new regulations are already in effect. With the new rules now in place, the question remains whether they will be enough to balance public safety with privacy concerns.
Below is the full list of changes provided by Mayor Johnson:
"Changes in the way the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) uses Flock cameras are necessary and appropriate. In consultation with the Chief of the Milwaukee Police Department and the Executive Director of the Fire and Police Commission, along with communications with Milwaukee County officials, I am insisting on significant policy adjustments.
1. Access to Flock camera systems data was limited earlier this year. At my direction, MPD has agreed to further restrict access to this data. Only supervisors will be allowed to access Flock camera systems. No officers or detectives will be allowed access to these systems at this time.
2. The use of Flock cameras will be limited to Part I crimes, critical missing persons, drug trafficking organization investigations and abductions only. Part I crimes only include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assaults (to include non-fatal shootings), burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson and human trafficking.
3. At my direction, MPD has agreed to create a publicly available dashboard providing the community information about the Department’s use of Flock camera technology.
4. MPD has agreed to further limit access to Flock cameras by restricting access to Milwaukee’s cameras only to MPD. This means that MPD Flock data will be strictly limited to MPD so that auditing and oversight is fully within its control.
5. In its oversight role, the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) has already initiated an audit of the Flock camera system and its use in the city. At my direction, the FPC Executive Director has agreed that semiannual independent audits of MPD’s Flock camera use will be conducted. I have requested that these results be shared directly with my office as an additional review of Flock camera use as well as provide public access to the findings.
6. My office will continuously monitor the use of Flock cameras on a regular basis. I am committed to regularly reviewing our use of Flock cameras and will make further decisions when and if necessary."
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