Flock surveillance and automated license plate readers in the 2027 budget
Summary
Two MPD officers were criminally charged for misusing Flock cameras to stalk people, and residents have packed commission meetings for months demanding the contract be cancelled. MPD rolled out new guardrails — supervisor-only access, 7-day retention, no data sharing, monthly audits — but most speakers and several commissioners remain unconvinced. The commission may vote later on an official position on the contract.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 6
- Last 30 days
- 3
Rising — discussed at 4 meetings since Sep 17, 2026, up from 2 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
Flock has been funded by a grant that expires January 1, 2027, and the department's plans for continued funding are undecided — alderwomen are threatening to strip it from the 2027 budget.
MPD argues victims of serious crimes benefit from a tool that helped quickly resolve a triple homicide; opponents say the city as a whole is harmed by mass surveillance.
Every driver whose movements are recorded, particularly domestic violence survivors, immigrants, and communities of color that speakers said bear the brunt of surveillance.
Mentions & discussions (7)
FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSION — October 15, 2026
The FPC's first ALPR audit found MPD has basic safeguards but big gaps: no log of data exports, unclear hot-list management, and no confirmed program administrator. Residents packed the room demanding the city end Flock entirely, citing Fourth Amendment concerns and an Oklahoma federal ruling, while MPD defends the tool and says a revised SOP is nearly done.
FINANCE & PERSONNEL COMMITTEE — October 12, 2026
The committee spent extensive time on the Flock license-plate-reader contract due for renewal in January. The department says it will renew with new audit guardrails it built itself, but Chair Dimitrijevic announced a charter change to force a public council vote on mass surveillance contracts, citing lost transparency through grant funding and waiver processes.
COMMON COUNCIL — October 5, 2026
Dozens of speakers demanded the city end its Flock camera and ALPR contracts, citing officer misuse, data sharing with ICE, no-bid procurement, and an October 2026 Fourth Amendment ruling. Some council members have sought restrictions, but the proposed budget continues funding the systems.
FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSION — September 17, 2026
Two MPD officers were criminally charged for misusing Flock cameras to stalk people, and residents have packed commission meetings for months demanding the contract be cancelled. MPD rolled out new guardrails — supervisor-only access, 7-day retention, no data sharing, monthly audits — but most speakers and several commissioners remain unconvinced. The commission may vote later on an official position on the contract.
FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSION — September 3, 2026
Dozens of residents demanded the city cancel its Flock ALPR contract rather than accept the mayor's new restrictions. Speakers cited officer misuse for stalking, a wrongful gunpoint stop caused by a stale database alert, no-bid contract renewals bypassing council approval, and data-sharing risks with federal agencies. The commission took no vote but heard nearly two hours of testimony.
FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSION — July 16, 2026
The ACLU and other speakers warned that Flock license plate readers have been misused locally and nationally, and questioned MPD's Fuse/Axon integration of 1,225 private cameras with no governing SOP or audit trail. MPD's Flock contract runs through January 2027.
Expanding, restricting, and removing: Where Wisconsin cities stand on flock camera programs
Expanding, restricting, and removing: Where Wisconsin cities stand on flock camera programs Spectrum News
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