DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The De Pere Police Department says it is ending its use of Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) products based on concerns regarding data integrity, transparency, and public trust.
The department says while use of ALPR cameras can be helpful in solving crimes efficiently, recent information and public sentiment have caused significant public trust concerns.
The De Pere Police Department agrees with other local agencies in discontinuing use of the Flock system due to the following findings:
- Contract and data management violations: Flock offered to sell a neighboring agency five years of historical traffic analytics – a clear departure from agreed-upon data deletion terms.
- Unauthorized data disclosures: Another neighboring agency ended all Flock systems after learning that search data tied to active investigations had been released to the public under another state’s open-records laws. A second Wisconsin county suspended use after discovering their Flock data had been shared without their consent, potentially compromising ongoing investigations and personally identifiable information across multiple agencies.
- Misrepresentation of system capabilities: Fox Valley officials rescinded their contract after Flock misrepresented technical features, including its analytics capabilities.
Bags will be placed over the cameras by the end of the week and officers will no longer be able to access the system, effective immediately.
De Pere’s contract with Flock expires on November 15, 2026, and permanent camera removal will occur sometime after that date.
The announcement comes on the say day neighboring Green Bay Police Department said it will continue the use of Flock cameras with an updated policy.
Other agencies in Northeast Wisconsin, like Fond du Lac, Winnebago County, Menasha and Waupaca County, have recently terminated their contracts with Flock.
