A Milwaukee police officer who investigated another officer’s misuse of department license plate reading technology is now facing his own criminal charges.
Milwaukee authorities charged police detective Tehrangi Chapman, 51, with misconduct in public office and misuse of a GPS device July 8. Prosecutors say the detective was a member of the department’s Internal Affairs Division, which is tasked with investigating fellow officers, and had GPS tracked someone and tracked theirs and another’s license plate.
“No one is above the law. We expect all members of this department – both sworn officers and professional staff – to uphold the highest ethical standards. We will continue to take decisive action to preserve public trust and honor the values of this organization,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Norman in a statement announcing the charges.
Authorities say Chapman admitted to investigators he installed a GPS device and misused the license plate reading system known as Flock. Chapman has over 22 years of service with the department and has been on full suspension since March 13, according to a department press release.
Police policy requires officers only use Flock for “bona fide law enforcement purposes.” Flock is a license plate reader system that uses cameras in fixed locations to photograph and record license information from passing vehicles.
The department has used the Flock system since 2022, and 31 cameras are installed across the city.
Chapman is scheduled for an initial court appearance July 17.
Chapman’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Investigators find Chapman’s GPS tracking and license plate searches
The investigation into Chapman began in February after an anonymous caller reported to the department that a detective, later determined to be Chapman, had used department tools to get personal information about their family, according to the complaint. Investigators later found that Chapman had purchased the GPS tracking device himself.
Chapman’s misuse of Flock was revealed when the department conducted an audit of the controversial tracking system, which revealed Chapman had improperly searched for the caller’s license plate 17 times between 2024 and 2025 and someone else’s license plate three times in January 2025, according to the complaint.
Officers are required to list a reason for searches in the license plate system. Chapman used “test” and “training” for the reasons, according to the complaint.
In an interview with investigators, the person who initially reported Chapman spied on them said in 2018 or 2019 that Chapman had placed a GPS tracking device on their car and, when confronted, Chapman had removed it, according to the complaint.
In 2024, the person found another GPS tracker on their car, removed it and later gave it to investigators, according to the complaint.
Second instance of charges for Flock misuse in last year
Police officials publicly disclosed a second officer was under investigation for misuse in May, but details on why the investigation began have not been public until now.
The charges against Chapman are a striking development as prosecutors say he had investigated former officer Josue Ayala’s own misuse of the license plate reading system. Chapman had been assigned to investigate Ayala’s misuse of Flock in December 2025. Prosecutors say Chapman’s misuse of it occurred prior, between Jan. 10, 2024, and Jan. 7, 2025.
Chapman’s case was investigated by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office due to his role working in internal affairs.
Ayala pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in June. Prosecutors say he looked up the license plate of someone he was dating more than 120 times and a second license plate belonging to that person’s ex 55 times.
Ayala’s misuse of Flock prompted intense backlash in Milwaukee over the Flock system. Critics say it is a tool of surveillance and that Ayala’s misuse proved officers cannot be trusted with it. Police officials say it’s valuable for investigating crimes and finding suspects.
Following Ayala’s charges, the department overhauled its auditing of the system and revised how many officers had access to it.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Police detective charged, accused of improperly tracking license plates, tracking car
Reporting by David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
