Waukesha police seek suspect in vandalism of Flock Safety license plate reader

First reported: August 8, 2026 · 1 source

Waukesha, Wisconsin police responded at 7:39 p.m. Wednesday to East Sunset Drive and Highway 164 after multiple callers reported a man striking a Flock Safety automated license plate reader with what appeared to be a pipe. The suspect ran north through residential backyards and was not located, despite a search aided by a Waukesha County Sheriff's Department K-9 unit. Police have released a photo of a person of interest and asked for public help identifying him. No arrest has been reported.

Why this matters

Damage to ALPR equipment has become one visible form of friction over expanding camera networks, and how agencies investigate and describe such incidents shapes local debate over surveillance policy and oversight.

Key facts

Waukesha Police Capt. Dan Baumann confirmed the damaged device was a Flock Safety ALPR.
An off-duty Wauwatosa detective told dispatchers they photographed the suspect; no arrest has been announced.
Separately, a traffic-warning sensor and solar panel in the Town of Mukwonago were damaged by what police described as shotgun rounds, with repair costs estimated at several thousand dollars.
Town of Mukwonago Police Sgt. Brad DeGrow said the department believes that vandalism was tied to opposition to Flock cameras and that the shooter mistakenly believed a Flock camera was at the intersection — a claim police have not publicly substantiated with an identified suspect.
Anyone with information about the Waukesha case is asked to contact Detective Bloom at 262-524-3785.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Waukesha police seek suspect in Flock camera vandalism (Greater Milwaukee Today, August 8, 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 August 11, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.