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License-plate readers · Milwaukee

Milwaukee

Using license-plate readers · 6 agencies documented

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Franklin Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
Not disclosed; FOX6 reported Franklin withheld its Flock camera locations.
  1. Aug. 2023 FOX6 reported in Aug. 2023 that Franklin police blacked out where their Flock cameras were; in Oct. 2023 it reported Franklin refused to release the locations, saying that would reveal crime-detection techniques. (FOX6 News Milwaukee, Aug. 2, 2023; FOX6 News Milwaukee, Oct. 24, 2023)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Only 2023 reporting found; no current contract or recent use located.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office

Status
Removing or limiting cameras
Vendors
Flock Safety, Axon
Cameras
25
Fixed Flock ALPR cameras on county parkland and lakefront, per County Board File 26-640 (Sept. 2026); MCSO also runs Flock Condor video cameras (9 per the resolution, 6 per Urban Milwaukee) and mobile ALPR in 66 of its 78 squad cars (Axon squad ALPR per MCSO policy). Urban Milwaukee and WISN count 42 Flock cameras in 11 county parks overall, plus 6 on county roads/equipment operated by municipal police.
Contract
Flock Safety: $156,000 year · to Dec. 31, 2026 · WISN, citing county budget records: $156,000 in 2026 and $142,000 in 2025; contract held by the county IMSD and expires at the end of 2026. Exact end date given only as end of 2026. (WISN 12 News, Sept. 9, 2026; Urban Milwaukee, Sept. 1, 2026)
  1. Sept. 2026 County Executive David Crowley sent a memo asking for a Flock policy framework limiting use, access and retention, and directing county departments to limit Flock use; Sheriff Denita Ball announced cutting retention from 30 to 7 days, limiting automated alerts, requiring case documentation, and ending sharing with out-of-state agencies and statewide/nationwide searches. (Both sources say the memo went out on a Tuesday; the Urban Milwaukee story is dated Sept. 1, 2026.) (Urban Milwaukee, Sept. 1, 2026)
  2. Sept. 2026 Crowley's office said he does not plan to renew the county's Flock contract in 2027. (Urban Milwaukee says he said so on a Wednesday; WISN's story is dated Sept. 9, 2026.) (WISN 12 News, Sept. 9, 2026)
  3. Sept. 24, 2026 A draft MCSO Policy 425 on ALPR (Lexipol, dated Sept. 24, 2026) set a 48-hour retention period, barred direct network sharing with other local, state or federal agencies, required Axon ALPRs to be disabled from sharing with Flock, and called for a public Flock transparency portal. (Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (Lexipol), Sept. 24, 2026; Milwaukee County Legistar, Sept. 29, 2026)
  4. Sept. 29, 2026 The Committee on Parks and Culture adopted an amendment (5-2) allowing MCSO to replace Flock cameras with conventional cameras and recommended File 26-640 for adoption as amended (7-0); an MCSO Flock penetration-test report (File 26-694) was discussed with no action. (Milwaukee County Legistar, Oct. 12, 2026; Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, Sept. 22, 2026; Milwaukee County Legistar, Sept. 29, 2026)
  5. Oct. 2026 Urban Milwaukee reported that Sheriff Ball found a new vendor to replace Flock after the board action; the resolution authorizes conventional cameras without ALPR from Johnson Controls International on the county's Genetec system. (Urban Milwaukee, Oct. 15, 2026; Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, Sept. 22, 2026)
  6. Oct. 1, 2026 The County Board adopted File 26-640, by Sup. Justin Bielinski and others, directing Parks to remove all fixed Flock Condor and ALPR equipment from county parkland and report by the December 2026 cycle; Urban Milwaukee reported a 16-0 vote with two supervisors absent. Chief Deputy Brian Barkow had opposed it. (Milwaukee County Legistar, Oct. 12, 2026; Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, Sept. 22, 2026; Urban Milwaukee, Oct. 3, 2026; Milwaukee County Office of the Comptroller, Sept. 1, 2026)
  7. Oct. 12, 2026 Crowley signed File 26-640 at Carver Park, where a Flock camera had been covered. (Milwaukee County Legistar, Oct. 12, 2026; Urban Milwaukee, Oct. 12, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Resolution 26-640 says MCSO did not take part in Flock's nationwide or statewide lookups but had sharing arrangements with about 200 local agencies; Urban Milwaukee later reported MCSO opted out of Flock sharing entirely. Crowley's 2027 budget proposal did not include Flock funding (Urban Milwaukee; budget address on a Thursday, date not confirmed). Fiscal note: Flock owns the hardware and removes it at no charge. The resolution applies only to parkland; MCSO squad ALPR is not covered.

From agency records.

Milwaukee Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety, Genetec, Axon
Cameras
60
Fixed-position ALPR cameras, including 38 Flock cameras, per the Fire and Police Commission ALPR audit (report dated Oct. 9, 2026); the same audit counts 79 additional squad- or vehicle-mounted ALPR systems. Earlier counts: 29 Flock cameras plus 39 Genetec fixed ALPR cameras (FOX6, Oct. 2023); about 31 Flock cameras (Spectrum News, Mar. 12, 2026); 35 Flock, 39 Genetec fixed, and Axon ALPR on 80 patrol vehicles (NNS, June 2026).
Contract
Flock Safety: $25,000 total · from 2022 · approved by Not approved by Common Council; sole-source purchasing waiver issued by the city Purchasing Director · First Flock contract (up to $25,000 per NNS records); amended four times, per the LRB memo. Start given only as year 2022. (Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, June 8, 2026; City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Oct. 9, 2026)
Contract
Flock Safety: $182,900 total · from June 16, 2025 · to Jan. 26, 2027 · approved by Not approved by Common Council; sole-source purchasing waiver issued by the city Purchasing Director · Replacement contract entered June 16, 2025, originally set to end Jan. 27, 2026 and extended by amendment to Jan. 26, 2027 (LRB memo). NNS records: initially up to $52,500, raised to $182,900 through three amendments that added cameras, extended the term and expanded services. A Council resolution approving a Flock agreement (File 250196) was placed on file June 24, 2025 rather than adopted. (City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Oct. 9, 2026; Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, June 8, 2026; City of Milwaukee Legistar, June 24, 2025)
Contract
Axon: $136,000 period not stated · from 2025 · NNS reports a 2025 amendment to MPD's Axon contract increasing it by roughly $136,000 for patrol-vehicle ALPR. (Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, June 8, 2026)
  1. 2022 Milwaukee signed its first Flock contract in 2022 as a sole-source deal, on the grounds that Flock works with MPD's Axon body cameras. The Purchasing Director waived Council review for that contract and every amendment. (City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Oct. 9, 2026)
  2. Oct. 2023 FOX6 located all 29 MPD Flock cameras after the department released only general intersections; MPD also had 39 Genetec ALPR cameras whose data it said is not shared with other agencies. (FOX6 News Milwaukee, Oct. 24, 2023)
  3. May 13, 2025 Ald. Scott Spiker introduced File 250196, a resolution to approve an agreement with Flock Group Inc. for pole-mounted cameras. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, June 24, 2025; City of Milwaukee Legistar, May 19, 2025)
  4. June 16, 2025 MPD's current Flock contract took effect, taking the place of the 2022 contract. (City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Oct. 9, 2026)
  5. June 18, 2025 The Finance & Personnel Committee recommended placing File 250196 on file. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, June 24, 2025)
  6. June 24, 2025 The Common Council placed File 250196 (Flock agreement resolution) on file. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, June 24, 2025)
  7. March 12, 2026 At the Public Safety and Health Committee, MPD described new access limits: users must sign a use agreement and captains must approve officer access; about 600 of more than 1,500 sworn officers had had database access. The communication (File 251665) was held to the call of the chair. (Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, March 12, 2026; City of Milwaukee Legistar, March 12, 2026)
  8. May 7, 2026 MPD presented to the Fire and Police Commission on ALPR training, monthly data-directed audits, and its policy that SOP 130 bars use for civil immigration enforcement. (Milwaukee Police Department, May 7, 2026)
  9. Aug. 25, 2026 Twelve alders, led by Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic, sent a letter to Chief Jeffrey Norman and the FPC asking for seven-day retention, case numbers for every search, independent audits and limits on federal access; Alds. Burgelis, Stamper and Taylor did not sign. (WTMJ, Aug. 26, 2026)
  10. Aug. 31, 2026 Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced that Flock access would be limited to supervisors, use limited to Part I crimes, critical missing persons, drug-trafficking organization cases and abductions, MPD's camera data restricted to MPD only, a public dashboard created, and semiannual independent FPC audits conducted. (Office of the Mayor, City of Milwaukee, Aug. 31, 2026; Wisconsin Public Radio, Sept. 2, 2026; Wisconsin Examiner, date not shown)
  11. Sept. 1, 2026 MPD's seven-day retention for non-anonymized ALPR data and its ban on sharing ALPR data with other law enforcement agencies took effect, per the FPC. (City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, Sept. 30, 2026; City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, Oct. 9, 2026)
  12. Sept. 1, 2026 A motion relating to MPD SOP 735 (Automated License Plate Readers), File 260683, was assigned to committee. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, Sept. 1, 2026)
  13. Sept. 22, 2026 Ald. Dimitrijevic introduced File 260809, a charter ordinance requiring Common Council approval of any contract or amendment for ALPR cameras or software and barring purchasing waivers for such contracts. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, Oct. 28, 2026; City of Milwaukee Legistar, Oct. 28, 2026)
  14. Oct. 15, 2026 The FPC placed on file its first-phase ALPR audit (report dated Oct. 9, 2026), which recommended amendments to SOP 735, an ALPR manual, and cost-benefit or risk-benefit analyses. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, Oct. 15, 2026; City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, Oct. 9, 2026)
  15. Oct. 28, 2026 The Finance & Personnel Committee adopted Substitute 2 of File 260809 and recommended it for passage; sponsors listed are Alds. Dimitrijevic, Brower, Bauman, Perez, Moore, Coggs, Taylor and Burgelis. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, Oct. 28, 2026; City of Milwaukee Legistar, Oct. 28, 2026; Urban Milwaukee, Oct. 28, 2026)
  16. Oct. 29, 2026 An FPC resolution on recommendations about MPD's ALPR contracts and technologies (FPC212764) was referred to the commission. (City of Milwaukee Legistar, Oct. 29, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Data in its Flock dashboard carried a 'milwaukee wi pd - STAC' label because the contract was first tied to the Southeastern Threat Analysis Center fusion center (Wisconsin Examiner, 2025). The Examiner counted nearly 40,000 MPD searches in Jan.-May 2025 audit data. The LRB memo says the Purchasing Director has indicated she would not issue a waiver for the next contract amendment. The FPC audit was based mainly on a July 16, 2026 interview and says retention was 30 days before the Sept. 1, 2026 change. Camera counts vary by source and date. A news report (via an aggregator) says MPD intends to renew Flock when the contract expires in early 2027; not confirmed from an original source here.

From agency records.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Police Department

Status
Ended or removed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
No count from a cited source.
  1. Sept. 2026 UWM said its police department would stop using Flock. It told Flock to take the cameras down and switched them off for now. Plate readers at UWM parking garages are not part of this; UWM says they do not connect to any outside system. (Urban Milwaukee, Sept. 11, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • The announcement was on a Thursday per the Sept. 11, 2026 article (likely Sept. 10, 2026); recorded as 2026-09. UWM gave no reason. Removal of the cameras by Flock had not been confirmed in the cited source; UWM said only that it had directed removal and made them non-operational.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Wauwatosa Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
No count found from a citable source.
  1. Oct. 2023 Wauwatosa police declined FOX6's request for camera locations, citing negligible public interest. (FOX6 News Milwaukee, Oct. 24, 2023)
  2. Aug. 6, 2025 The Wisconsin Examiner counted 10,372 Wauwatosa searches in Flock audit data for Jan.-May 2025, the fifth-highest in the state; the analysis drew on Wauwatosa's own network audit data. (Wisconsin Examiner, Aug. 6, 2025)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No contract record found.
  • Most recent documented use is in Flock search data for Jan.-May 2025; with no source from the last 12 months showing use or a current contract, status is unconfirmed (editor's rule, Oct. 30, 2026).

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

West Allis Police Department

Status
Program documented, current use unconfirmed
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
21
21 Flock cameras per FOX6 (Aug. 2023). The 2022 order form covered 21 cameras during a 45-day pilot, after which the city would keep up to 10 under the resolution.
Contract
Flock Safety: $32,750 year · from March 1, 2022 · approved by West Allis Common Council, 2022-03-01 (R-2022-0149, moved by Ald. Kevin Haass) · $32,750 in year 1, then $27,500 per year; 10 cameras at $2,500 each per year plus $250 installation each and $2,500/year for advanced search; 24-month initial term with 24-month renewal per order form; funded from IT account and police asset forfeiture. The start date is the date of approval. (City of West Allis Legistar, March 1, 2022; City of West Allis, March 1, 2022; City of West Allis Legistar (Flock Group Inc.), 2022)
  1. March 1, 2022 The Common Council adopted R-2022-0149 authorizing a sole-source Flock purchase, citing integration with the department's Axon systems and data sharing with nearby agencies. (City of West Allis Legistar, March 1, 2022; City of West Allis, March 1, 2022)
  2. Aug. 2023 FOX6 reported West Allis had 21 Flock cameras. (FOX6 News Milwaukee, Aug. 2, 2023)
  3. Aug. 6, 2025 The Wisconsin Examiner counted nearly 12,000 West Allis searches in Flock audit data for Jan.-May 2025. (Wisconsin Examiner, Aug. 6, 2025)
  4. Oct. 22, 2026 A discussion item on Flock cameras in West Allis (File 2026-11201) was filed in the city's legislative system. (City of West Allis Legistar, Oct. 22, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No current contract renewal record was found; an Oct. 2026 Council discussion item on Flock was filed; its outcome was not found.
  • Most recent documented use is in Flock search data for Jan.-May 2025; with no source from the last 12 months showing use or a current contract, status is unconfirmed (editor's rule, Oct. 30, 2026).

From agency records.

Statewide

  1. Aug. 2023 FOX6 reported that the Wisconsin Department of Justice said it does not keep track of Flock cameras, and that Wisconsin had no law setting retention periods for plate-reader data. (FOX6 News Milwaukee, Aug. 2, 2023)
  2. 2025 Lobbying registrations on AB 300 with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission: the ACLU of Wisconsin registered against (6/8/2025); the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association (6/10/2025), the League of Wisconsin Municipalities (6/23/2025) and Flock Group Inc. (7/25/2025) registered in favor; the Wisconsin Grocers Association registered 'other' (6/19/2025). (Wisconsin Ethics Commission (lobbying.wi.gov), date not shown)
  3. 2025 The Wisconsin Examiner, citing OpenSecrets, reported that Flock spent $102,000 on lobbying in Wisconsin in 2025, and that AB 300 and SB 299 did not pass. (Wisconsin Examiner (republished by Urban Milwaukee), Aug. 28, 2026)
  4. May 30, 2025 Senate Bill 299, by Sens. James and Wanggaard, was introduced to create a state grant program (new s. 165.985) for buying automated registration plate reader systems; it was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, and the Legislature's page shows no later action. (Wisconsin State Legislature, date not shown)
  5. June 6, 2025 Assembly Bill 300, the companion grant-program bill by Rep. Novak and 13 other representatives, was introduced and referred to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety; the Legislature's page shows no later action. (Wisconsin State Legislature, date not shown)
  6. Aug. 6, 2025 A Wisconsin Examiner analysis of Flock network audit data found that at least 221 Wisconsin law enforcement agencies used Flock from Jan. 1 to May 31, 2025. (Wisconsin Examiner, Aug. 6, 2025)
  7. Sept. 2026 Attorney General Josh Kaul, speaking at a Rotary Club event, called on the Legislature to pass a state law governing how plate readers may be used, including a general bar on selling ALPR data to private companies. (CBS 58 says Tuesday; its story is dated Sept. 8, 2026.) (CBS 58 (WDJT), Sept. 8, 2026)
  8. Sept. 2026 State Rep. Calvin Callahan, chair of the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection, said government use of Flock cameras should be prohibited unless it comes with warrants, judicial oversight and strict retention limits, and said he would hold a committee hearing on surveillance cameras when the Legislature returns in January. No bill number was cited. (WSAW says the statement came on a Tuesday; the story is dated Sept. 15, 2026.) (WSAW NewsChannel 7, Sept. 15, 2026)
  9. Sept. 2026 Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany said that if elected he would pause state funding for Flock and create a privacy task force; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democratic candidate for governor, directed county departments to limit Flock use. (Wisconsin Public Radio, Sept. 2, 2026)