Kenosha police ending Flock contract, moving to Axon
Kenosha police ending Flock contract, moving to Axon
When it comes to police technology, Flock has become the new F-word everyone is talking about. FOX6 Investigators have now documented at least 148 cases of alleged Flock misuse by police officers across the country – including 11 in Wisconsin. Now, the City of Kenosha says it's ditching its Flock contract and going with another vendor.
KENOSHA, Wis. - When it comes to police technology, Flock has become the new F-word everyone is talking about. FOX6 Investigators have now documented at least 148 cases of alleged Flock misuse by police officers across the country – including 11 in Wisconsin.
Now, the City of Kenosha says it's ditching its Flock contract and going with another vendor.
From Flock to Axon
What we know:
Kenosha police say they have not found a single officer abusing the system, but Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton said they are canceling their contract with Flock Safety one year early and moving instead to a competing system offered by Axon.
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Patton cited concerns with Flock about data sharing, data security and capabilities the cameras may have to track traffic speeds and movements that he said Flock did not disclose.
"Now we’re hearing there’s some questions as to what those cameras can do, what the security levels of those cameras are, and who can access them. Where the data’s being shared. The more and more questions we had, the more and more questions we tried to get answered, the more and more horror stories we heard, and the more our trust was being eroded in that software," Patton said.
Earlier this year, the City of Kenosha signed a 10-year contract with Axon for a variety of police technology services. That includes Outpost cameras – Axon's version of Flock's fixed pole license plate readers.
The $14.6 million contract with Axon includes 31 Outpost cameras, 227 Tasers, 200 body cameras, 100 mobile plate readers, 3 drones and cloud-based evidence software.
Chief Patton said one advantage to going with Axon is greater control over who can access the data. With Axon, he said, they are sacrificing the ability to do nationwide searches. Instead, they plan to share only with agencies in Wisconsin and, possibly, neighboring Lake County, Illinois. Patton says he believes other police departments in Wisconsin will soon be following Kenosha's lead.
Milwaukee County Flock camera limits, Crowley issues directive
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley issued a directive to the sheriff's office and other departments to limit Flock camera use on county property.
Axon contract
Dig deeper:
Read the full document here.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bryan Polcyn and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
Joint Statement
What they're saying:
Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala and Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton released a statement, saying in part:
"Technology has become an important tool in modern law enforcement. When used appropriately, Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology can help the Kenosha Police Department locate stolen vehicles, identify vehicles connected to serious crimes, assist in investigations and help keep our community safe. This has assisted our agency with the investigation of countless crimes."
"At the same time, we recognize that any technology that collects information about vehicles traveling on public streets must be accompanied by clear rules, appropriate oversight and strong protections for individual privacy."
"The people of Kenosha deserve both: a police department equipped with the tools it needs to keep them safe and strong safeguards to ensure those tools are used responsibly."
"That is why the City of Kenosha began the process in January 2026 of moving away from the Flock ALPR system and transitioning to Axon technology. This decision was made as part of our ongoing effort to evaluate emerging technology and ensure that the systems used by the Kenosha Police Department provide the greatest possible public-safety benefit while maintaining appropriate privacy protections and accountability."
"Importantly, Kenosha was an early adopter of specific guardrails and restrictions governing access to ALPR information. These safeguards were not an afterthought. They were put in place during implementation to establish clear expectations for how this technology may be used by law enforcement. Additionally, Axon data can only be viewed or shared with outside agencies with our approval allowing for additional privacy protection."
You can read the full joint statement on the City of Kenosha website.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton, the City of Kenosha's 10-year contract with Axon, and FOX6 News reporting.