Milwaukee County Flock camera limits, Crowley issues directive
Crowley directive to limit Flock cameras
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley issued a directive to the sheriff's office and other departments to limit Flock camera use on county property.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor, on Tuesday issued a directive to the sheriff's office and other county departments to limit Flock camera use on county property.
Crowley's Flock directive
Local perspective:
According to the county executive's office, Crowley called on the county's Office of Corporation Counsel and Information Management Services Division to "evaluate current policy framework governing the use of any surveillance technology and develop binding standards for this technology."
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The standards, Crowley's office said, will address:
- What the technology can and cannot be used for
- How long data can be kept
- Who can access it and under what circumstances
The county executive's office also said Crowley wants to see clear limits on when information can be shared, including a ban on use for federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant, and require independent audits and consequences for misuse. The county executive pointed out that there have been no cases of deputies accused of misuing the technology.
Crowley also wants municipal leaders throughout Milwaukee County to reevaluate their own use of the technology and adopt policy frameworks modeled on the county's approach as it relates to use, data retention, access and accountability.
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The sheriff's office acknowledged Crowley's directive and said, since it first started using Flock technology, it has had a policy that includes internal checks and balances. MCSO said the following guardrails are already in place:
- The reduction of data retention from 30 days to seven days
- The launch this week of a public-facing transparency portal to be accessible on the MCSO website
- Mandatory documentation of case number, offense type, and search justification for every Flock camera search conducted
- Enabling Flock’s audit-assistance tool and, when available, automatically locking a user’s account for review when a search is flagged
- Limiting alert response strictly to stolen vehicles/license plates, violent crime, and missing or endangered persons
- No participation in state- or nationwide data lookup, and no data sharing outside Wisconsin
- Prohibition on any search related to immigration status or reproductive health
- Limiting user access
- Access to MCSO’s Flock technology will be restricted to MCSO only
The elected sheriff, not the county executive, is in charge of law enforcement. The county executive does have authority over county property, where cameras are mounted, and the Department of Administrative Services, which handles the Flock contract.
What is the Flock camera system?
The backstory:
Flock cameras scan and take photos of license plates going by, and police can search the database to pinpoint locations. In spring, the company told FOX6 News it partners with more than 200 agencies in the state, and the system helps solve crime.
How many Flock cameras does Milwaukee County have?
By the numbers:
Milwaukee County's Flock system includes 42 cameras, and six municipal cameras are mounted on county-owned poles. Individual municipalities, such as the City of Milwaukee, operate their own systems.
What is Milwaukee's policy?
Big picture view:
The Milwaukee Police Department has agreed to make several changes to its Flock camera system policies, according to statements Monday afternoon from the department and the mayor's office. MPD confirmed access to the technology has been restricted to supervisors only, and the department will no longer share data access with surrounding jurisdictions.
Flock policy, Milwaukee police agree to changes; what we know
The Milwaukee Police Department has agreed to make several changes to its Flock camera system policies. Here's what we know.
Flock technology use will also be limited to "Part I crimes" – like homicide, robbery and human trafficking – as well as critically missing persons, drug trafficking and abduction investigations.
Neither MPD nor the mayor's office specified a timeline for when any agreed-upon policy changes would take effect. The mayor himself does not have authority to affect police department policy.
Official statements
What they're saying:
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley:
"Public safety partners should have the right tools to keep Milwaukee County safe, but unchecked surveillance isn’t the answer.
"We have seen what can happen when this technology operates without clear rules, transparency, and accountability. Protecting our residents' privacy and maintaining the public's trust is a responsibility I take seriously. That is why I am directing all County departments to limit the usage of all Flock camera systems and establish safeguards proactively, before a breach of public trust can occur."
Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball:
"We appreciate public concern about this technology, the county executive’s thoughtful approach and his acknowledgment that the MCSO has not experienced misuse of Flock technology.
"We also appreciate the technology itself, as it has helped our deputies solve violent crime, find missing and endangered people, and recover stolen cars. We will continue to hold the technology and our use of it to a high standard."
Crowley's campaign for governor:
"This is just the beginning of what needs to happen. As governor, I will work hand in hand with law enforcement, our state legislature, and local municipalities to implement strict transparency and accountability laws that ensure Wisconsinites are not spied on. It’s clear that what started as well-intentioned technology to help law enforcement do their job, has quickly turned into a tool that is being used and abused to spy on Wisconsinites. We need to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep us safe but we also need to protect Wisconsinites’ right to privacy."
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, Crowley's Republican opponent in the race for Wisconsin governor, has said the following on Flock:
"When it comes to Flock, personal privacy needs to come first. Government should not be building an AI surveillance network that tracks law-abiding Wisconsinites everywhere they drive. As governor, I will make this a day one priority by pausing state funding for Flock and bringing together a task force to establish stronger privacy protections, penalties for misuse, limits on data retention and sharing, and safeguards against Communist China and foreign adversaries. David Crowley has repeatedly sought more red-light cameras, speed cameras, and massive funding increases for automated license plate readers. His answer has always been to give government more power to watch you. I reject that ready-fire-aim approach. Traditional security cameras can help law enforcement solve serious crimes, but public safety cannot become a blank check for warrantless AI government surveillance."
Editor's note: This story was updated to include additional information.
The Source: Information in this story is from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley's Office and prior coverage of Flock cameras, including FOX6 News interviews and information related to the City of Milwaukee's policy.