Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor on the use of Flock cameras and police surveillance

Automatic license plate readers (ALPR) companies like Flock Safety have been quietly building a nationwide mass surveillance system, including in Wisconsin. 

Hundreds of law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin used Flock cameras in 2025, but many have decided to part ways with the technology after increased scrutiny from the public and advocates. 

AI-powered Flock cameras can read license plates, but they can also register car color, make and model, stickers, damage and other identifying features. That information can be uploaded to a database that can be accessed by law enforcement and federal agencies nationwide.

“The proliferation in local police department’s use of surveillance technology, which in most places has occurred without any community input or control, presents significant threats to civil rights and civil liberties that disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income communities,” the ACLU of Wisconsin said. 

At the same time, a number of officers in Wisconsin have since been charged with abusing the technology by illegally tracking people they know. 

Police leadership around the state say the technology is useful for stopping and preventing crime, but there is a growing concern the technology will continue to be abused and will limit civil liberties. 

The nationwide Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCOPS) effort is looking to increase transparency through legislation mandating that local communities are given a meaningful opportunity to review and participate in all decisions about if and how surveillance technologies are acquired and used locally.

The Milwaukee Courier asked each Democratic candidate running for Wisconsin governor what their position is on the use of police surveillance cameras. Republican candidate Tom Tiffany did not respond to a request for comment. 

Francesca Hong

State Rep. Francesca Hong, the frontrunner in the primary, has a section dedicated to police surveillance on her website. 

“Every few weeks, it seems, another police officer gets caught using an AI surveillance system to spy on an ex-girlfriend or abortion patient. Some uses of AI are dangerous encroachments on our civil rights,” the website states.

Hong supports a ban on the highest-risk AI tools available to law enforcement, including live facial recognition in public spaces, individual-level risk scoring for pretrial detention and sentencing, AI-powered camera tools like Flock and social media surveillance services.

“(Hong) insists that any algorithm-based or AI system used in policing should be open-source, independently audited, and not controlled by a private vendor with a financial interest in its continued use,” the website states.

Mandela Barnes

Former Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes advocates for more voices to be heard. 

 “The voices of Wisconsinites must be prioritized when we consider the best ways to keep communities safe while protecting constitutional rights to privacy and free speech,” he said in a statement. “If communities object to the use of this technology, their voices must be heard and respected. The way we get safer communities is by building trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.”

David Crowley

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said law enforcement “need” the tools but privacy must have a balance. 

“Law enforcement and public safety partners need resources to keep our neighborhoods safe. At the same time, those tools must not infringe on the rights and privacy of Wisconsinites,” he said in a statement. “We need clear standards for using Flock cameras, as well as consequences for those who abuse this technology. As governor, I would bring together public safety stakeholders and partners to develop statewide standards that protect civil liberties, establish strong oversight and transparency, and ensure this technology is used only to prevent and solve serious crimes.”

Joel Brennan 

Former Secretary of the Department of Administration Joel Brennan highlights the abuses the system has already seen. 

“I don’t think Wisconsin communities should be building out mass surveillance networks without the knowledge or consent of the people who live there,” he said in a statement. “We’ve seen police chiefs install these cameras without telling a single elected official. We’ve seen officers abuse access to track people they knew personally. And there are real concerns about this data ending up in the hands of ICE. Until we have guardrails in place that guarantee transparency and accountability and make clear how this technology gets used, who controls it, and what happens when it gets abused, I’d put the brakes on it.”

Kelda Roys

State Sen. Kelda Roys points to her record and history of opposing the technology. 

“As a longtime privacy and civil liberties advocate, Sen. Roys opposes Big Tech’s efforts to surveil us for profit and the Trump regime’s efforts to weaponize that data,” Roys’ spokesman said in a statement. “Sen. Roys has authored privacy legislation to prevent social media companies from collecting our kids’ data, to prevent the collection and transfer or sale of sensitive precise geolocation data, and supports efforts to ban the use of Flock or similar surveillance networks unless and until ironclad protections are in place to prevent government or private misuse. We cannot give the Trump regime another tool to undermine our freedom and our democracy.”