BROOKFIELD — Brookfield residents and elected officials are raising questions about the city's use of Flock license plate reading cameras — technology police say helps fight crime but that some say raises serious privacy concerns.
The debate intensified after an incident last week in which Brookfield police received a Flock alert for a vehicle linked to a Milwaukee homicide. Brookfield Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop and detained 2 people, only to learn Milwaukee Police inadvertently had not removed the vehicle from the alert system.
Over the weekend, Alderwoman Catherine Kahler posted to Facebook saying she no longer supports Brookfield's continued participation in the Flock camera program. In an email sent Monday, Kahler said her concerns are not about local policing, but are instead focused on the government collecting data on the movements of law-abiding people through a private company connected to a much larger network.
WATCH: Brookfield alderman weigh privacy concerns amid Flock camera debate
Alderman Peter Stoll said he shares some of those concerns.
"I am a pro-law enforcement guy; I am not going to back away from that. At the same time, there are legitimate concerns when it comes to this 21st century age when it comes to data — how it's collected, how it's stored, and how it's used. And so we have to make sure we're getting all the information to make the appropriate decision — balancing the needs of law enforcement and public safety with the citizens' right to privacy," Stoll said.
Stoll said he has not yet made up his mind on whether Brookfield should continue its contract with Flock.
"The issues that she raised, I think, are very legitimate. I also know that they can be a very useful tool for law enforcement," Stoll said.
Stoll said he plans to speak with the police chief and fellow council members as elected officials work to balance public safety with the privacy of law-abiding citizens.
On Monday, TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins obtained the contract between Flock and the City of Brookfield. It's a two-year, $40,000 contract that shows there are seven Flock cameras in the city.
Residents in Brookfield offered mixed views on the cameras Monday. Kenneth Ilseman said he supports their use.
"I think it's a good thing because it helps law enforcement," Ilseman said.
Elena Sakman said she has reservations about the scope of surveillance, but acknowledged the legal reality of being in public spaces.
"Camera on every corner? I would not say that I am fond of that idea," Sakman said.
"I think legally, as long as you're in public, anyone can take your picture anyway," Sakman said.
Barbara Froelich echoed that sentiment.
"Privacy? If you're outside your house, you don't have privacy, is the way I feel. You're in public, then the public can see you," Froelich said.
A Flock spokesperson said Monday that individual agencies own and control their own data, access is limited to authorized users, and data is automatically deleted after 30 days unless retention is requested in compliance with law and policy. The company also said that in July alone, Flock cameras in Wisconsin alerted authorities to 16 missing people and more than 200 sex offenders.
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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