Milwaukee police want to renew Flock contract; some on Common Council seek final say
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee police want to renew their contract with a controversial maker of automated license plate readers. Some members of the city's Common Council are moving to give their body the power to decide whether that happens.
A Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) spokesperson confirmed to CBS 58 Wednesday the department seeks to renew the agreement it has with Flock. The current contract ends in January.
MPD press staff said Police Chief Jeffrey Norman would not speak with reporters Wednesday afternoon at a graduation ceremony for a new class of police recruits.
MPD's use of Flock has generated controversy in recent months. The department and Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced new Flock protocols a little more than a month ago.
The changes came after two officers were arrested on suspected charges of abusing Flock data for personal use.
An MPD mishap also led to an innocent woman being held at gunpoint by police in Brookfield because the department failed to take her car's license plate out of the system when it was initially tied to a murder case.
The new protocol gives only supervisors access to MPD Flock data, taking access away from officers and detectives. MPD says it no longer shares Flock data with outside agencies, and there will now be twice-a-year audits done for the Fire and Police Commission.
"The department has established strong policies governing data access, retention, and audit processes, and conduct regular reviews to ensure compliance with legal standards and community expectations," an MPD statement read.
On Tuesday, Alds. Marina Dimitrijevic and Alex Brower filed a proposal to amend the city charter. It would require "all contracts related to the purchase or use of automated license plate reader cameras or software" to be approved by the council's Finance and Personnel Committee.
"We're committed to doing everything we can and exploring every option to bring this police technology under democratic oversight," Brower told CBS 58 in an interview Wednesday.
Brower said he personally wants MPD to cut ties with any automated license plate reader vendor but, at minimum, wanted elected officials to have oversight when it comes to how MPD uses the technology.
"People do not want to see mass surveillance like this across the political spectrum," Brower said. "Look at the communities across the state that have gotten rid of Flock already."
Last week, the Milwaukee County Board voted to remove Flock cameras from county parks. In recent weeks, the sheriff's offices in Racine and Fond du Lac counties, among others, announced they were ending their contracts with Flock over data sharing concerns.
MPD has credited Flock with helping it solve crimes, including the arrest of Sade Robinson's convicted killer, Maxwell Anderson.
"We didn't have the right safeguards in place. We didn't have the right controls or auditing processes. A lot of that's been corrected, but the public trust still hasn't been restored," Ald. Peter Burgelis told CBS 58 Wednesday at City Hall. "So, there are a lot more conversations that need to be had, and I think a lot more conversations from the police department to the public so that the public better understands exactly how they're using technology, what they are able to do, what they are not able to do."
Burgelis said he hadn't decided whether he will support the proposal.
"I don't have an answer for that, yet," he said. "I want to make sure the public is aware of what the police department is doing, what it's not doing."