Sheboygan could cancel Flock Safety contract after police raise concerns; mayor, resident react

Our Take

Credit to TMJ4 News for catching a story that flips the usual script: it's not just residents or civil liberties groups pushing back on Flock Safety in Sheboygan — it's the police department raising concerns serious enough that city staff physically covered all 15 cameras and shut off data collection. When the people who are supposed to be using these tools start questioning them, that's a signal worth paying attention to.

We don't know the full details of what prompted the pause, and we won't pretend to. But the fact that a City Council can hit the brakes on a live surveillance contract — cameras bagged, data stopped — shows these deals aren't as locked-in as Flock's sales pitch to local governments often implies. Contracts get signed fast and quietly; walking them back takes public pressure, internal dissent, or both. Sheboygan may be proving it's possible.

This is exactly the kind of local accountability fight that decides whether networks like Flock keep expanding unchecked or face real scrutiny. If you want to see whether your own town already has cameras like these watching the roads, check our map, and if you want to push your city council toward a conversation like Sheboygan's, our take-action guide can help you get started.