OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Oshkosh will continue to use Flock cameras for at least one more year.
In a 5-2 decision, Oshkosh’s common council voted to approve a one-year renewal of the city’s contract with Flock for its license plate reading technology. The city installed its first Flock cameras back in 2023 and currently has about two dozen of them scattered around the city.
The council’s decision was unpopular among most of the folks who came out to the meeting on Tuesday evening. Over two dozen people spoke against the Flock technology.
“If this council values fact-based policy, common sense regulation, transparency, and safe policing, I urge you to vote no on this proposed Flock contract,” one opponent of the technology told the council during the public comment section of the meeting.
“Forcing this through now without taking sufficient time for the proper review and public input would represent a failure of city leadership and a degradation of trust,” another person said.
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Opponents of the technology said the cameras are an invasion of privacy and worry that data from the cameras can be hacked and fall into the hands of bad actors. Some also fear that law enforcement officials will abuse the technology, something that happened in Menasha when an officer with that department allegedly used Flock technology to stalk someone.
Oshkosh police chief Dean Smith said the technology helps the department solve crimes and catch criminals. He also said it can be useful for missing person cases and Amber Alerts.
“If the council wishes to make Oshkosh a more difficult place for violent offenders to hide, then renewing this contract is essential,” a person who spoke in support of the Flock cameras said during public comment. “If the council wishes to support the police department in quickly solving crimes, locating vulnerable individuals, and protecting residents, then maintaining this resource is the responsible choice.”
There were several Flock representatives present at the meeting who answered questions from council members ahead of the vote. They said that the cameras don’t have facial recognition capabilities.
Chief Smith also noted that the Oshkosh police department doesn’t allow access to or share data with federal law enforcement. Immigration & Customs Enforcement getting a hold of Flock data was one of the concerns that those against the technology brought up on Tuesday evening.
Several council members expressed the difficulty of deciding how to vote on Tuesday evening. Originally, the renewal resolution was for two years, but alders amended it to just last for one year.
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They also talked about creating some sort of committee or commission that will allow the public to have a say in how Flock cameras get used in the city moving forward.
“I am convinced that Oshkosh is safer today for all residents because we have this technology, and Oshkosh wouldn’t be safe tomorrow by removing it,” council member Karl Buelow said.
“We are taking on a lot of risk for having these cameras here in our city, and I don’t know if the benefit outweighs the risk when you don’t have a sound policy,” council member Jacob Amos, who voted against renewing the Flock contract, said.
