WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. — A new lawsuit is targeting the use of Flock surveillance cameras in 11 municipalities in Waukesha County and the county itself, seeking to require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing the surveillance technology.
Flock cameras are license plate readers that also collect pictures and video. The lawsuit alleges the cameras can be accessed by anyone across the country who has bought into the Flock database — not just law enforcement.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is representing three groups in the lawsuit: No Cams Muskego, a grassroots citizens group; Citizens Defending Liberty, a group of taxpayers; and an Oconomowoc homeowner. They say there are 120 Flock cameras in the county run by the government.
"We represent a group of citizens and taxpayers in Waukesha County really concerned about the level of surveillance and the number of cameras constantly recording their movements," said Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty General Counsel Dan Lennington.
Watch Rebecca Klopf's full report in the video player below:
Pete Karas, founder of No Cams Muskego, said the cameras raise serious privacy concerns.
"We believe it is an invasion of our privacy," Karas said.
The lawsuit cites previous TMJ4 News reporting, including a story about a Waukesha County man who was searched through Flock more than 100 times after filing a citizen's complaint, and a woman stopped by Brookfield police after a Flock camera database error.
Lennington said one of the plaintiffs has a camera that looks directly into his backyard.
"Every time he leaves his neighborhood or comes back, it is recorded. Our position is, if the police want to use that very powerful technology, they need to get a warrant," Lennington said.
Both Lennington and Karas said they are not opposed to the technology itself — only its use without judicial oversight.
"It is a great tool that works. It is very effective, and it is very sensitive. That is why we need to have proper guardrails on it," Lennington said.
"If they want to use the system, that would be amazing. Just get a warrant," Karas said.
TMJ4 News reached out to all defendants in the case. Waukesha County and New Berlin said they do not comment on pending litigation. Mukwonago and Sussex said they have not yet been served. The City of Oconomowoc plans to vote on the use of Flock cameras next Tuesday.
No hearing dates have been set in the lawsuit.
Waukesha County municipalities respond to lawsuit:
Waukesha County Corporation Counsel Erik Weidig:
“It is the practice of the Waukesha County Office of Corporation Counsel to not comment on pending litigation.”
The City of New Berlin:
"The City does not comment on pending litigation."
Village of Sussex:
"The Village of Sussex use of Flock is through our Contract with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department so we would direct questions to them. We have not seen the lawsuit at this time and have no further comment at the moment."
City of Waukesha:
"The City is aware of the lawsuit that has been filed. We are currently reviewing the complaint and will follow the appropriate legal process."
Village of Mukwonago Police Chief:
"The Village has not yet been served with the lawsuit or had an opportunity to review any allegations. However, I can say that the Village has only been using the Flock system on a very limited trial basis since July, and had already decided not to proceed with Flock before the suit was filed. The Village is in the process of terminating its relationship with Flock."
City of Oconomowoc Mayor Matt Rosek:
"At the City Council meeting on September 15, I am asking for a vote on the continued use of Flock in our City. My decision to place this on the agenda came after consideration of the benefits for our City in addition to concerns surrounding this system. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and its ability to collect, mine, and analyze large amounts of information has also altered the conversation surrounding these systems. Several Aldermen have also asked that this topic be added to the agenda. I have met with our City Administrator and Police Chief to review the system and the safeguards we put in place after adoption. The City of Oconomowoc has not experienced any incidents of misuse. Our Police Department has used the system with integrity. However, the decision before us next week is about whether the system, and the technology surrounding it, continues to provide the level of security, accountability, privacy, and public trust that our community expects. Depending on the outcome of the vote, we will also address how these types of systems should be used in the future. Oconomowoc was one of the safest cities in the country before we added Flock and will continue to be no matter the outcome next week."
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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