Flock search misuse, former Milwaukee police officer pleads guilty
Flock search misuse, former MPD officer pleads guilty
A former Milwaukee police officer, who prosecutors said misused the department's Flock Safety license plate reader system to track someone he was dating, pleaded guilty on Thursday.
MILWAUKEE - A former Milwaukee police officer, who prosecutors said misused the department's Flock Safety license plate reader system to track someone he was dating, pleaded guilty on Thursday.
In court:
Josue Ayala, 34, was convicted of misdemeanor attempted misconduct in public office.
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Ayala faced up to nine months in jail and/or a $10,000 fine. He would be fined in exchange for his guilty plea as part of a deal with prosecutors, but a judge will ultimately decide. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13.
Josue Ayala leaves court on June 11, 2026.
Previously, the district attorney's office said the misdemeanor charge was part of a negotiation that included Ayala agreeing to resign from the Milwaukee Police Department. His resignation was announced on March 4, the same date as his initial court appearance.
In March, a judge ordered Ayala not to have contact with the two victims in the case. Those two people filed for restraining orders against the former officer, which a court commissioner granted on Wednesday.
FOX6 News tried to speak with Ayala outside the courtroom Thursday. He did not answer questions.
Investigation
The backstory:
A criminal complaint said Ayala, who was an eight-year department veteran based at Milwaukee Police District 2, used his authorized access to search MPD's license plate database 179 times for personal reasons.
Ayala searched the license plate of a person he was in a relationship with more than 50 times, court filings said, and searched that person's ex-partner more than 100 times.
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MPD policy required officers to document the reason for each search, including a case number and investigative purpose. Prosecutors said Ayala used a single-word justification each time.
The alleged misuse was not initially uncovered internally. Charging documents said one of the victims searched their own license plate on a website called haveibeenflocked.com and then alerted police, prompting a follow-up investigation that identified nearly 200 unauthorized searches.
Josue Ayala is not related to Alex Ayala, the president of the Milwaukee Police Association.
Featured
Milwaukee police audit shows Flock camera uses, possible misuse
The Milwaukee Police Department released a sample Flock camera audit showing outlier uses tied to serious crimes as scrutiny continues over officer misuse and community privacy concerns.
Dig deeper:
MPD said it was investigating a second officer who may have misused the Flock Safety system. The department said it strengthened the audit process to catch future problems and made every user re-request access and sign that they will follow the rules.
Flock cameras can be found across the country and state. Milwaukee has more than 30 of the cameras in its system. Milwaukee's Fire and Police Commission will audit Flock usage, meaning a random sample of searches.
Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify Ayala's plea deal as well an new information related to the restraining order.
The Source: FOX6 News was in court Thursday. Additional information is from the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.