Appleton plans to end using Flock Safety cameras
The short version: Appleton is reportedly moving to end its Flock Safety ALPR program, a rare win worth watching closely to see if it actually sticks.
Our Take
Credit to WFRV Local 5 for flagging that Appleton is planning to walk away from Flock Safety's camera network. These reversals don't happen often, and when they do, it's usually because enough residents and council members started asking basic questions: who sees this data, how long is it kept, and what's the actual evidence it reduces crime versus just logging everyone's movements by default.
We'd caution readers not to celebrate too early. "Plans to end" is not the same as cameras coming down tomorrow — contracts can linger, vendors can offer discounts to stay, and sometimes a city quietly re-ups under a new name or program. The real test is whether Appleton follows through, and whether other Wisconsin towns sitting on similar contracts take notice.
If you're in Wisconsin or anywhere else wondering whether your town has Flock infrastructure already installed, check our camera map to see what's been documented nearby. And if your city council hasn't had this conversation yet, our take-action page has the tools to start pushing for the same kind of scrutiny Appleton apparently got.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WFRV Local 5, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.