GERMANTOWN, Wis. — Flock Safety announced new changes to its technology Thursday as pushback against the company's AI-powered license plate reader cameras continues to grow.
The cameras track every vehicle that drives by and store that information in a database. Supporters said they help police solve crimes, but a growing number of people believe the nationwide network amounts to unconstitutional mass surveillance.
TMJ4 has reported on several instances where the technology failed or was abused. Most recently, Brookfield police pulled over a vehicle on a busy interstate that had been previously flagged in the system when it should have been removed.
One of these cameras was recently installed at Kinderburg Park in Germantown, stationed next to the playground. The installation drew concern from at least one resident who spoke out at a Public Safety Committee meeting.
Watch: Germantown residents sound off on Flock Safety camera installed next to park playground
"The department has not shown why that level of surveillance is necessary to protect park property," the resident said. "This is far more than a fixed vandalism deterrent. With 32 times zoom, this camera can see someone from 50 feet away as if they were taking a selfie."
He added that the community should have had more input before the camera was installed.
"The risk is no longer hypothetical," the resident said. "This is a structural problem, not a criticism of any individual."
Not everyone in the community shares those concerns. Tara Davison, who lives in Germantown, said she is comfortable with the 24-hour surveillance.
Shw believes people worried about surveillance may have something to hide.
"It's worth that in order to keep the park peaceful," Davison said. "I think that as long as you're being a rule-abiding citizen, there's really nothing to worry about."
Ellen Brown, whose grandchildren live in Germantown, also supports the camera.
"I'm here with my grandkids, and I'm keeping my eye on them, but if something were to happen, we'd have a backup to verify what we might have thought happened," she said. "I do trust the village and the police. We've come to this park quite a bit, we're comfortable and I don't have any issues here."
The Germantown Police Department declined to speak on camera but posted on social media that the camera is needed to prevent vandalism at the park.
The issue could come up again at the next Public Safety Committee meeting on Monday, Sept. 7th. A GPD spokesperson said they addressed the issue with the village and do not believe more discussion is needed.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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