Sept. 9, 2026 1:15p
(WGTD)---A Racine city council committee spent nearly two hours Tuesday night discussing the pros and cons of keeping the Flock automated license reader system in light of privacy concerns.
In the end, the Finance and Personnel Committee voted three to two against a resolution to discontinue its use.
Two representatives of Flock were on hand to defend the company and answer questions, as was a delegation of police department administrators led by Chief Alex Ramirez.
Mayor Cory Mason noted that over two dozen law enforcement entities in Wisconsin, including the Racine County Sheriff’s Office, have seen fit to move away from Flock despite assurances from the company. "I'm trying to understand why so many communities are facing these decisions to terminate your contract," Mason said. "I hear the two of you describe it like there's nothing to see here--nothing to worry about," he said.
A Flock representative responded. "I think we underestimated the potential for misuse of the tool and we're putting safeguards in place to allow tracking to be much more automated," he said. The man refused to provide his last name to a reporter, saying that he feared "death threats" if his name was to be in the public record.
Chief Ramirez, while not offering a full-throated defense of Flock, said license plate reader technology is an invaluable tool. Other companies offer similar systems. He acknowledged that two of his officers have been investigated for abusing the system. One has been cleared while the other case is pending a conclusion.
The Flock representative mentioned that the company estimates that some 200 known cases of misuse exist across the country.
In response to privacy concerns, the company does not sell Flock data. Only individual departments have the ability to authorize sharing of data. All data is deleted after 30 days. In Racine, checks are made on a daily basis on who has accessed the system internally.
Alder Dave Mack was among the three committee members who voted against ending the contract. "I haven't heard anything tonight that substantiates the claims that we should be getting rid of it. As for the other communities, my guess is many of them have succumbed to public pressure and it (the opposition) wasn't based necessarily on anything factual," said Mack, adding that Flock opposition might be tied into an apprehension over data centers and artificial intelligence.
The committee’s recommendation in favor of keeping Flock for now will go to the full council. Alders Land, Mack and Horton were in the majority. Alders Jorgensen and Hodges were on the losing end in supporting discontinuation.
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