Flock Safety responds as Wisconsin agencies drop camera contracts
Flock Safety responds as Wisconsin agencies drop camera contracts
Flock Safety, a vendor of license plate reader cameras, is under fire after multiple agencies in southeastern Wisconsin are terminating contracts with the company.
MILWAUKEE - Flock Safety, a vendor of license plate reader cameras, is under fire after multiple agencies in southeastern Wisconsin are terminating contracts with the company.
There are two concerns across multiple agencies: traffic data and out-of-state agencies accessing confidential data from the cameras through open records requests.
Sheboygan
What we know:
In Sheboygan, the city covered all the cameras with garbage bags after learning the cameras were also collecting speed data and vehicle types. City officials said the company offered to sell the city years' worth of traffic volume.
Sheboygan canceling Flock contract over undisclosed data tracking
Flock Safety offered to sell five years of speed and traffic data to the City of Sheboygan. The city's mayor says Flock never told them the cameras were tracking the kind of data. Now the city is looking to cancel its contract with Flock.
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In response, Flock Safety said the company does not sell the data. Flock said the Traffic Analytics feature is separate from the license plate reader platform and does not include license plate data. The Traffic Analytics feature is sold to law enforcement or municipalities who want to understand their roadways.
Fond du Lac County
What we know:
In Fond du Lac County, the sheriff's office and multiple police departments announced they are ending their contracts with Flock after learning law enforcement agencies in other states released information about active investigations without their permission by responding to open records requests.
Flock camera pushback: Fond du Lac, Racine counties ending use
Several law enforcement agencies in southeast Wisconsin announced on Friday, Sep. 4, that they are no longer using the use of the Flock camera system over undisclosed data collection.
Flock response
What they're saying:
In a statement to FOX6 News, Flock said in part:
"We identified a pattern of people using publicly released audit data to identify undercover officers by name, publishing their contact information alongside details of active investigations. Nearly 200 law enforcement leaders raised this concern directly with our leadership, and we acted on it."
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The network audit log no longer includes specifics – like plates, or an officer's name.
The Sheboygan Common Council will vote on whether the city will end its contract with Flock Safety on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Read more about Flock's traffic analytics.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6's Christina Van Zelst and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Flock Safety, Sheboygan city officials, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office, and multiple police departments.