Documented Incident
Milwaukee County supervisors weigh resolution to remove Flock cameras from county parks
Event: September 29, 2026 · First reported: September 29, 2026 · 16 sources
A proposal before the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors would direct the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office to remove Flock Safety license plate readers from county park property and end the county's contract with the company. Cameras are currently in place at parks including Washington, Moody and Mitchell. Supervisor Justin Bielinski, who is backing the measure, said Flock Safety has violated its own terms of service by sharing agency data with other government agencies, and argued that visiting a public park should not put a resident's vehicle into a searchable database. Sheriff Denita Ball said in a statement earlier this month that the technology has helped deputies solve violent crimes, locate missing and endangered people and recover stolen vehicles, and that her office holds its use to a high standard.
The proposal tests whether a county can unwind an existing surveillance contract after deployment, and raises the question of who controls ALPR data once it leaves the agency that collected it. It also follows a cluster of similar reversals across Wisconsin, making the outcome a reference point for other local boards reviewing active Flock programs.
Key facts
- Flock cameras operated by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office are installed at parks including Washington, Moody and Mitchell.
- The resolution directing removal was set for a hearing Tuesday before the Committee on Parks and Culture, with the full board expected to take it up Thursday.
- Bielinski proposed alternatives including faster replacement of aging park lighting and an unarmed park ambassador program; if cameras stay, he said the county should own a closed network with strict guardrails.
- Sheriff Ball defended the technology's investigative value; Bielinski's claim that Flock breached its own terms of service by remarketing agency data is his characterization.
- Dane, Racine, Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Waupaca and Clark counties, plus Sheboygan, Waukesha, Oconomowoc, Appleton, Oshkosh and Kenosha, moved in September to end, suspend or defund Flock programs.
Timeline
- September 29, 2026Milwaukee County supervisors consider ban on Flock cameras
- October 2, 2026Milwaukee County votes to remove Flock cameras from parks
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Milwaukee County supervisors consider ban on Flock cameras (Spectrum News, September 29, 2026)
- Supervisors consider Flock camera ban in Milwaukee County parks (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 28, 2026)
- Supervisors consider Flock camera ban in Milwaukee County parks (AOL.com, September 28, 2026)
- Milwaukee County votes to remove Flock cameras from parks (Civic Media, October 2, 2026)
- Milwaukee County Board committee advances resolution to remove Flock from parks (wjfw.com, October 1, 2026)
- Milwaukee County to remove Flock cameras at parks (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 1, 2026)
- Milwaukee County Board committee advances resolution to remove Flock from parks (Apg Of Wisconsin, October 1, 2026)
- Milwaukee County votes to remove Flock cameras from parks (wisconsinexaminer.com, October 2, 2026)
- Milwaukee County parks committee moves to remove Flock cameras (wisn.com, September 30, 2026)
- Milwaukee County Board committee advances resolution to remove Flock from parks (Gazette Xtra, October 1, 2026)
- Milwaukee County committee advances plan to remove Flock cameras from parks (WTMJ, September 30, 2026)
- Milwaukee County Board committee advances resolution to remove Flock from parks (Wisconsin Examiner, October 1, 2026)
- Milwaukee County votes to remove Flock cameras from parks (The Milwaukee Courier, October 2, 2026)
- Flock cameras to come down in Milwaukee County Parks (WTMJ, October 2, 2026)
- Milwaukee County Board committee advances resolution to remove Flock from parks (Route Fifty, October 1, 2026)
- Milwaukee County votes to remove Flock cameras from parks (apg-wi.com, October 2, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated October 8, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.