Milwaukee police officer charged for misusing Flock license plate reader
A Milwaukee police officer was charged with misusing the Flock Safety license plate reader system to track his dating partner and their ex-partner without authorization. The department has implemented additional auditing measures in response to the incident.
What happened
Milwaukee police officer Josue Ayala is accused of misusing Flock Safety license plate reader cameras to track his dating partner more than 120 times and that person's ex-partner 55 times over approximately two months in 2025.
Ayala was placed on full suspension in December 2025 after the department's Internal Affairs Division began a criminal investigation following discovery of his actions by police.
Reported impact
The incident involved unauthorized surveillance of two individuals' vehicles and raised concerns about privacy and the potential for law enforcement misuse of automated surveillance tools.
Index analysis
The case demonstrates vulnerability in access controls for license plate reader systems and highlights the need for oversight mechanisms to prevent misuse by authorized officers with legitimate access.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin stated the case shows how surveillance tools can be turned against the people they are intended to protect and called for transparency standards and stronger oversight.
Governance controls
The Milwaukee Police Department implemented additional Flock auditing following the allegations against Ayala.
Chief Jeffrey Norman stated that members who violate the code of conduct will be held accountable.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.