A Milwaukee police officer has been charged with one count of attempted misconduct in public office for allegedly using Flock cameras to surveil his girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend for two months in the spring of 2025.
Josue Ayala is suspended and negotiating a resignation from the Milwaukee Police Department. If convicted, he could be sentenced to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
According to a criminal complaint made public Tuesday, a Milwaukee resident checked the website HaveIBeenFlocked.com, and found that his license plate had been run to ascertain his location numerous times, and that the license plate of his ex-girlfriend had been run over 100 times.
A subsequent investigation found that those two people had been in a relationship, and when that relationship ended, the second victim began dating Ayala. The criminal complaint allegs that an audit of the Flock logs found that Ayala used Flock cameras to track his girlfriend’s location 124 times and her ex-boyfriend’s 55 times from late March to late May, 2025. The complaint alleges that Ayala would have been on duty when using the Flock cameras for that purpose.
“I am extremely disappointed to learn about the incident and expect all members, sworn and civilian, to demonstrate the highest ethical standards in the performance of their duties. If a member violates the code of conduct, they will be held accountable,” MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman said in a statement. “I want to remind the public that everyone is afforded the right of due process under the law, and as such, are innocent until proven guilty.”
The charges come as Dane County communities debate their contracts with the Flock Safety, which provides cities and police departments with cameras (which they call automated license plate readers) to aid in tracking stolen vehicles and vehicles involved in crimes. The Verona Common Council voted to end its contract earlier this month, and people in Monona have been debating their use of Flock cameras. There are currently about 80 Flock cameras in the Madison area.
