Documented Incident
Milwaukee Restricts Police Access to Flock ALPR System After Two Officer Stalking Cases
Event: September 8, 2026 · First reported: September 8, 2026 · 1 source
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the Milwaukee Police Department announced new restrictions on who within the department can access the city's Flock Safety license plate reader network, including removing direct access for frontline officers. The changes follow the July 2026 conviction and probation sentence of former MPD officer Josue Ayala, who used the system roughly 200 times to track an ex-partner, and felony charges against MPD internal affairs detective Tehrangi Chapman, who had been investigating Ayala and pleaded not guilty in late August 2026. Johnson said the technology should be restricted rather than abandoned, while the ACLU of Wisconsin continues to call for a warrant requirement before police access Flock data. Alder Bob Bauman, one of 12 alders who signed a letter raising concerns, said the Common Council never voted on the Flock contract.
Milwaukee's response tests whether internal supervisory controls are sufficient to prevent abuse of ALPR systems, an approach other cities facing similar misconduct cases may look to as an alternative to warrant requirements or ending contracts. The dispute over whether the Common Council ever approved the contract also raises questions about who authorizes surveillance deployments.
Key facts
- Former MPD officer Josue Ayala was convicted and sentenced to probation in July 2026 for using Flock nearly 200 times to track an ex-partner.
- MPD internal affairs detective Tehrangi Chapman, who had investigated Ayala, was criminally charged with misusing ALPR and GPS tracking against a civilian and pleaded not guilty in late August 2026; the charges are unproven.
- Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the city would add restrictions rather than cancel the Flock contract, telling CBS 58 that issues 'continue to happen.'
- Alder Bob Bauman said the Common Council never voted on the Flock contract and that MPD entered it independently; 12 alders signed a letter raising concerns.
- The ACLU of Wisconsin is calling for a judicial warrant requirement before police access Flock data.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Milwaukee Strips Officers of Flock Camera Access After Shocking Stalking Scandals (MotorBiscuit, September 8, 2026)
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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 September 9, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.