Between late March and late May 2025, former Milwaukee Police Department officer Josue Ayala ran 179 searches through the department’s Flock Safety license plate reader system. Not for a case. Not for a missing person. He tracked his romantic partner and that person’s ex — searching one plate 55 times, the other 124 times, according to audit logs reported by Fox6 and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Flock Safety operates 31 AI-powered cameras across Milwaukee, scanning plates and storing vehicle location data for law-enforcement use.
The system requires officers to log a reason for each search. Ayala’s reason, every single time: “investigation.” When the case reached sentencing, court records show he walked out with probation and a $500 fine.
MPD didn’t catch the misuse. A victim did — by checking their own plate on haveibeenflocked.com, a transparency site that publishes Flock audit logs obtained through open records requests, according to the Journal Sentinel. Think of it like pulling your credit report and discovering someone has been running your score obsessively for two months. The victim filed a complaint. Only then did detectives review Ayala’s search history.
What the Sentence Actually Means
Ayala pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge and received a probationary sentence that keeps 180 days of jail time on the table if he violates its terms.
Ayala pleaded guilty to attempted misconduct in public office, a misdemeanor reduced from the original charge. He also resigned from MPD. According to court records, probation conditions require:
- No contact with either victim
- A mental health assessment with compliance in any recommended treatment
- Adherence to programs assigned by his probation officer
Any violation carries up to 180 days in jail.
The ACLU of Wisconsin called the broader pattern a “disturbing trend.” In a press release, the organization said Ayala’s conduct “exemplify just how easily Flock cameras can be turned against the very people the technology purports to protect.” ACLU data analysis found MPD ran nearly 40,000 Flock searches between January and May 2025 — more than any other Wisconsin law enforcement agency — while a separate investigation revealed officials had been secretly tracking users through other platforms, according to comments filed with local oversight bodies.
MPD’s Response – And Its Limits
Access restrictions and new audits followed the charges, but a second officer has since been charged with similar misuse.
After Ayala’s case surfaced, MPD cut Flock access from roughly 600 officers down to primarily the Criminal Investigations Bureau, per TMJ4 reporting. Captain approval, mandatory training, and signed user agreements became requirements. The Fire and Police Commission now conducts random audits, according to WTMJ. MPD says no additional personal-misuse cases have surfaced through the revamped system — though a separate detective, Tehrangi Chapman, has since been charged with ALPR misuse, a reminder that policy updates and accountability aren’t always the same thing.
This case lands alongside MPD’s recent ban on facial recognition technology after public outcry — a department repeatedly confronting what surveillance tools become without meaningful guardrails. The $500 fine is settled. The question of who watches the watchers is not. Those seeking legitimate monitoring alternatives may find guidance in reviewing home security systems designed with transparency and user consent as core principles.
