MPD Builds Audit for Flock Cameras | Wisconsin's Midday News
The short version: Milwaukee PD's new 'audit' for Flock ALPR use sounds reassuring, but self-policing surveillance tools rarely satisfies real public oversight.
Our Take
620 WTMJ's segment on MPD's internal audit for Flock camera access, featuring the department's own risk manager, is worth a watch — credit to the station for getting an official on record. But let's be clear-eyed about what's being described: this is the department auditing itself. An internal compliance checklist built and reviewed by the same agency wielding the technology isn't independent oversight, it's a liability shield dressed up as accountability.
Audits like this tend to answer narrow questions — did an officer log a reason before running a search — while dodging the bigger ones: how many plates get scanned daily, how long is data retained, who else gets access (federal agencies, other departments, private data brokers), and what happens when the system is misused. Milwaukee residents deserve those answers in public records and council hearings, not just a reassuring quote on the midday news.
If you live near Milwaukee or anywhere else, check our camera map to see what's already watching your streets, and head to take-action for tools to push your local officials toward real transparency instead of self-graded homework.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 620 WTMJ, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.