WINNEBAGO COUNTY (NBC 26) — The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office is immediately suspending all Flock Safety products currently in use by the agency.
The decision was released in a press release Friday afternoon, following reports that Flock Safety had released data in bulk in response to public records requests in other states, where public records laws differ from those in Wisconsin.
All police chiefs within Winnebago County are also immediately suspending the use of Flock Safety within their agencies. Those agencies include:
- Neenah Police Department, Chief Olson
- Menasha Police Department, Chief Albrecht
- Fox Crossing Police Department, Chief Callan
- Winneconne Police Department, Chief Sauriol
- UW Oshkosh Police Department, Chief Tarmann
The Sheriff's Office said protecting the integrity of investigative data, safeguarding personally identifiable information, and maintaining public trust are paramount to the agency.
The Sheriff's Office is conducting an internal review of any investigations that may have been affected and is evaluating internal security measures to ensure continuity of operations without compromising the privacy of Winnebago County motorists.
The agency said it is also in communication with other partnering agencies to gather additional information. All Flock Safety related services will remain suspended pending the outcome of those discussions and the internal assessment.
Related: Fond du Lac County kicks Flock off the force
Local rules and actions may apply for terminating contracts within individual municipalities.
The City of Omro Police Department has never had a contract with Flock Safety. The City of Oshkosh Police Department cancelled its contract with Flock Safety earlier this year.
