Appleton will discontinue use of Flock cameras, the mayor’s office announced May 6.
Mayor Jake Woodford, in a press release, said the city would take steps to end its use of Flock Safety systems, including the automated license plate reader, over concerns about the “integrity” of Flock’s underlying systems.
The technology “has proven instrumental in solving cases, recovering stolen property, and locating missing people,” he said in a statement, noting that this type of service is something he’d like to maintain for the community if an alternative to Flock is available.
Flock cameras have been a topic of conversation in the Fox Valley this year, after Menasha police officer Christian Morales, of Appleton, was charged with misconduct in public office after prosecutors allege he used Flock to locate a woman’s car while off-duty.
Neighboring Oshkosh also canceled its contract with Flock in late April, after the Oshkosh Police Department said the company misrepresented information regarding the plate readers at an April 21 Common Council meeting.
“The Appleton Police Department has long instituted strong internal controls over use of the product and data and has enhanced its policies to protect the public in recent months,” Woodford said. “However, such rigorous standards cannot be verified beyond the boundaries of our jurisdiction. Examples of illegitimate use of Flock data by personnel in other departments with access to the system reinforce accountability concerns that are not under the City of Appleton’s control as a customer.”
At present, the press release says, the sharing of Flock data is limited to only law enforcement agencies in northeast Wisconsin. The city will now evaluate the “current terms of use” for Flock, and will bring a recommendation to the Common Council if council action is needed to terminate the contract.
Flock license plate readers are advertised as offering instantly searchable data, including plate numbers and details about the cars they are attached to, integration with law enforcement efforts, “actionable evidence” and 24/7 observation. The company’s website recommends the cameras for law enforcement agencies, business owners, neighborhoods and schools.
Vivian Barrett of the Green Bay Press-Gazette and Justin Marville of the Oshkosh Northwestern contributed to this article.
Taima Kern is editor of the Appleton Post-Crescent. Reach her at tkern@usatodayco.com or 920-993-7104.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton to part ways with Flock cameras, mayor’s office says
Reporting by Taima Kern, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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