Brookfield police stop wrong vehicle after Flock camera error
Flock system mix-up leads to stop on I-94
Police with guns drawn stop a driver along I-94. But it turns out they had the wrong person, all because of a mistake involving Flock cameras.
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - Brookfield police pulled someone over after a Flock camera flagged their car for a Milwaukee homicide. It turned out to be a mix-up involving the wrong car and the wrong person.
Flock camera error
What we know:
Take a look at this video from yesterday on I-94 in Waukesha County. You see multiple officers with guns drawn – and a passenger sticking their hands out the window.
Police pulled the car over after a Flock camera flagged it for a Milwaukee homicide.
But when Brookfield Police called Milwaukee Police Department, MPD said they no longer needed the car or the people inside, so officers let them go.
FOX6 News reached out to MPD to learn why that car was still active in the Flock system.
Flock cameras point of contention
Dig deeper:
Flock cameras have become a point of contention in a lot of areas. The cameras use artificial intelligence technology to scan your license plate – and they can keep track of where you drive. This all happens without a warrant. Recently, that controversy has only grown as more reports of misuse by law enforcement across the country arise – and Wisconsin.
Two members of the Milwaukee Police Department have faced separate criminal prosecutions for illegally misusing the department's automated Flock Safety license plate reader system to stalk and track citizens for personal reasons.
Even in Dane County, FOX6 News spoke with the county board chairman about why they voted to remove them.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
What they're saying:
"Had existing contract with flock, flock is a company that supports technology with automotatic license plate readers.. sheriff's office wanted to extned. however we on the coutny board were hearing from other communities around the country where flock was really violating the public's trust," said Dane County Board Chair Patrick Miles. "even here close to home, they were violating peoples trust so we pulled the funding from the shierff's office to not renew that contract. but at same time we acknowledge that its important technology.."
He said Dane County has since restored that funding to the sheriff's office – however not to use with Flock but a different tech company.
Milwaukee Flock camera misuse prompts woman to seek review of her case
A Milwaukee woman is hoping investigators will take another look at her case after two police officers were charged with misconduct for misusing the Flock camera system.
FOX6 News reached out to Flock
What they're saying:
Meantime, FOX6 News reached out to Flock and asked the following questions. They sent the following responses:
Patrick Miles called Flock Safety a "proven bad actor" and said its technology is used to violate Fourth Amendment rights. What is Flock’s response to that characterization and the board’s decision to defund the 2026 contract?
"We strongly disagree with the characterization of Flock as a "proven bad actor." Flock’s license plate readers capture objective, point-in-time images of vehicles and license plates in public view. They do not use facial recognition, identify individuals, or collect personal information such as names, phone numbers, or home addresses. More than 40 courts across the country have upheld the constitutionality of responsibly deployed license plate reader systems. Flock also builds accountability into the platform: every search requires a documented reason and creates a permanent audit trail that agencies can review. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office and agencies across the country all solved countless serious crimes and made a measurable public safety impact with Flock technology. When a tool that is actively helping solve violent crimes is removed, public safety moves backward. That has real consequences: cases will take longer to solve, organized retail theft crews will operate with fewer obstacles, an Amber Alert may not be returned home, and victims may wait longer, or indefinitely, for justice."
Milwaukee Flock camera use questions; MPD updates policy
Flock cameras can be found in communities across the country. There are more than 30 in the City of Milwaukee alone. Now, questions are being raised about who is looking at the data.
Does Flock plan to engage with the Dane County Board or the Sheriff’s Office to propose alternative data-sharing limits, or is the relationship effectively terminated?
"Flock is always open to engaging with communities and elected leaders."
How does Flock respond to growing public resentment toward the technology in everyday neighborhoods, and what steps are you taking to rebuild community trust?
"We understand that people have legitimate questions about any technology used by law enforcement, and we welcome that conversation. The platform is designed around local control. Agencies own and control their data, access is limited to authorized users, every search requires a documented reason, and every search is permanently logged. Data is automatically deleted after 30 days by default unless an agency establishes a different retention period consistent with applicable law and policy. Flock also provides tools such as Audit Assistance to help agencies identify unusual search patterns and address potential misuse proactively. We will continue listening, answering questions directly, and improving our products and policies based on community feedback. We do not believe communities should have to choose between privacy and public safety."
Any comment on recent investigations and cases involving law-enforcement misuse, including the Milwaukee officer recently sentenced to probation?
"Any misuse of the Flock system is unacceptable, and anyone who violates the law or agency policy should be held accountable. We defer to the Milwaukee Police Department, prosecutors, and the courts regarding the specific facts and proceedings in this case."
FOX6 News recorded a few on-camera soundbites from Garrett Langley, CEO and founder of Flock, addressing misuse, how Flock’s Audit Assistance works, and the safeguards built into the platform.
Waukesha also had a Flock-related incident recently. Police there say a Flock camera was damaged. They are looking for a person of interest. Police believe the suspect used a metal pole to strike the Flock camera.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s [reporter name] and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
Racine County Flock camera system misuse; new measures implemented
In the past two months, the Racine County Sheriff's Office and Racine Police Department have each had two cases of officers misusing Flock cameras.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Brookfield Police, Milwaukee Police Department, Dane County Board Chair Patrick Miles, Dane County Sheriff's Office, Garrett Langley, Flock Safety and Waukesha Police.