WINNEBAGO COUNTY (NBC 26) — The mayor of Menasha is ordering all Flock cameras bagged by the end of the day Tuesday and plans to ask the city council to cancel the contract later this month.
Mayor Austin Hammond cited privacy concerns as the driving force behind the decision.
"There is a great and genuine concern that exists regarding privacy and how the data is accessed and shared," Hammond said in a statement.
The Menasha Police Department attempted to add safeguards this year, but Hammond now wants to end the city's use of the automatic license plate readers.
In nearby Neenah, Police Chief Aaron Olson said Tuesday he will recommend the city end its contract with Flock as well.
Earlier this year, Fox Cities neighborhood neighbors Kyle Langellier spoke to several Neenah residents who voiced concerns about the use of the cameras. At that time, Olson defended the use of the cameras, saying they have strong privacy safeguards and have led to several arrests at an affordable cost.
Menasha and Neenah join several other Fox Valley cities — including Appleton and Oshkosh — in ending their relationship with Flock over privacy concerns.
