OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission Regular Meeting - May 7, 2026

Common Council — Thursday, May 7, 2026
BodyMilwaukee, Wisconsin
SessionCommon Council
DateThursday, May 7, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:05:32

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

This is the May 7, 2026 regular meeting of the Fire and Police Commission.

0:06

Present our Commissioners Virgos, Evans, Fung, Spence, Spencer, World Patterson, and myself, Commissioner Horowitz.

0:14

Commissioners Raimi and Schneider are excused.

0:18

Also present our FPC Executive Director, Leon Todd, and Deputy Director Jay Puse.

0:25

Director, please proceed with the agenda.

0:28

Thank you, Madam Chair.

0:29

We will begin with item number one, public comment.

0:32

For those who would like to speak and are here in person, please come up and sit at the front table when your name is called.

0:37

If you are appearing virtually and have registered in advance to speak, please use the raise my hand feature in the webinar tools and unmute yourself when called upon to speak.

0:47

Each person will be given up to five minutes to speak.

0:50

And as usual, we will we will begin with uh people who are here in person.

0:54

Uh we do have a new public comment form, and I I think there may be some confusion about the additional uh comments and uh uh line where you indicate support or or oppose um an agenda item.

1:08

Uh, those were meant for for those who did not wish to speak but wanted to uh uh submit uh uh a written comment or note their uh objection uh or or uh support in writing.

1:19

But uh it appears that uh that may not have been clear.

1:22

So uh we'll see if we can make the uh the public comment form uh clear in the future, and then I will call out everyone's name, and if you do not actually want to speak, you can just so indicate.

1:34

Uh but we will begin with Emilio De Torre from uh Milwaukee Turners.

1:43

Good evening.

1:47

Good evening.

1:48

Uh good evening, members of the Milwaukee and Fire, uh Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission.

1:52

I'm Emilia DeTore with the Milwaukee Turners.

1:55

Um, it's no surprise to you that Milwaukee is in the midst of a surveillance crisis.

1:59

It was clear through the year-long push against facial recognition technology that residents don't want to be surveilled by law enforcement and military contractors through weird public-private business relationships.

2:10

And I'm not even going to get into the personal abuses by individual officers.

2:14

What we are hearing about Flock is more of the same.

2:16

Last night, the city of Appleton voted to end their usage of Flock.

2:20

Just this month, Oshkosh and Sturgeon Bay refused to renew their contracts, and Verona also.

2:25

Dane County will terminate its contract in May.

2:46

Mass surveillance.

2:48

There is a web of over 92,000 flock cameras and counting across the nation, and this creates a drag net surveillance of all people, whether or not they are suspected of a crime or wanted for any particular reason.

2:59

The cameras pick up everything in range of their view, not just license plates.

3:03

They use AI to hone in on the licenses, but everything is covered.

3:06

This has been shown extensively, and regardless of the data accessible through the agreement with MPD.

3:11

Flock information is shared with the federal government.

3:15

Flock CEO Garrett Langley says that groups that monitor flock locations and speak against the use of Flock, like DFLOC, are, quote, terroristic organizations whose primary motivation is chaos.

3:26

A troubling response from someone we are paying to entrust with such power to surveil us.

3:31

His backers like Mark Andreessen are big donors to the current president and to deregulation of tech and cryptocurrencies like this surveillance.

3:39

They have clear financial and political interests in the expansion of this tech.

3:43

Flock claims that it has never been hacked.

3:45

This is completely false.

3:47

Musician and engineer Ben Jordan used a commercial search engine to show how easily you can identify and access the administration interfaces of Flock cameras, identifying where they are, and none of the data or information was encrypted.

3:59

No username nor password was required.

4:01

They were publicly facing and accessible by anyone.

4:04

You can click and see every single person, vehicle, place, and activity that the cameras captured over those 31 days.

4:10

You can watch the footage in real time or access historic footage, not just select police officers, anyone could do this.

4:17

He watched a man rollerblading and then looked at his phone, and the camera's AI automatically zoomed in on the phone.

4:23

He watched a couple arguing in a market and then used easily accessible Flock public data and facial recognition technology to identify who who they were, that they had traveled 45 minutes from home to church that day, that they had just had a child, and had debt based on that new baby.

4:38

One of them had just finished medical school, and the other was suffering from chronic irritable bowel syndrome.

4:43

All of this from Flock Hammer's.

4:45

Given how Flock has created and is marketing their new product Nova to provide law enforcement and one stop shopping for an aggregated database for synthesis and sharing, given how Flock financial backers are also supporters of our current federal abuses and practices, and given how Flock's website says that federal agencies are partners with, and I quote, can establish one-to-one sharing relationships with other law enforcement agencies.

5:09

It is incredibly dangerous and unwise for us to continue to use this invasive product that forms such a large surveillance web to be integrated with other federal surveillance already being used to threaten and criminalize immigrants and political dissenters.

5:23

In Carpenter versus United States from 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that accessing historical cell site data information tracking an individual's movements over an extended period constitutes a fourth amendment search requiring a warrant based on probable cause.

5:37

The current power and applications of Flock go far beyond this.

5:42

In cities like Syracuse, New York, their local ALPR system was searched 4.4 million times by police around the country without a warrant and shared with ICE, despite the intentions of their common counsel and despite promises to the contrary.

5:55

This is just one example.

5:57

It is being weaponized against immigrants, people seeking abortion access, demonstrators, and can be used for other problematic things we haven't imagined yet.

6:05

Please follow the lead of our neighboring cities and cease the use of flock.

6:09

Thank you.

6:17

Brian Verdeen.

6:26

Good evening.

6:27

Good to see you all.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Police Procedures████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Technology and Innovation███████████████████████23%
Miscellaneous█████████████13%
Personnel Matters█████████████13%
Mental Health Awareness██2%
Procurement and Contracts██2%
Community Engagement██2%
Public Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission Regular Meeting - May 7, 2026

The Fire and Police Commission (FPC) held its regular session on Thursday, May 7, 2026, commencing at 5:50 PM at City Hall, Room 301-B. Seven commissioners were present: Miriam Horwitz (Chair), Bree Spencer (Vice-Chair), Dana World-Patterson, Ruben Burgos, Ramon Evans, Christopher Snyder, Jeff Spence, and Krissie Fung. Commissioners LaNelle Ramey and Christopher Snyder were excused. The agenda was amended to remove two items (FPC212501 and FPC212521) due to position status updates. The meeting adjourned at 8:56 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 2-6: Adopted by general consent:
    • FPC212500: Resolution approving the April 16, 2026, meeting minutes.
    • FPC212502: Job Announcement Bulletin for Carpenter 4 (Milwaukee Fire Department).
    • FPC212503: Job Announcement Bulletin for Crime Scene Supervisor (MPD).
    • FPC212504: Job Announcement Bulletin for IT Project Coordinator (MPD).
    • FPC212505: Eligible list for Building Maintenance Supervisor (MPD).

Public Comments & Testimony

Fourteen members of the public spoke, the majority expressing strong opposition to the use of Flock automated license plate readers (ALPR) by the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). Several speakers also supported recent restrictions on police chases, raised concerns about mental health services, and called for a comprehensive governance framework (Community Control Over Police Surveillance, or CCOPS). Key positions:

  • Emilio De Torre (Milwaukee Turners) detailed Flock's surveillance capabilities, citing cities like Appleton, Oshkosh, Sturgeon Bay, and Verona that terminated contracts. He argued Flock data is shared with federal agencies and violates Fourth Amendment rights as per Carpenter v. United States.
  • Brian Verdin thanked Commissioner Spencer for her work on police chase policy and opposed Flock, calling for the commission to engage more with the community.
  • Tiffany Stark urged safer police chase measures and criticized the lack of public input on mental health issues and food truck curfews.
  • Alex Larson (Milwaukee Turners) highlighted a governance gap between the Common Council (contracts) and FPC (oversight), supporting a CCOPS ordinance and noting 26 municipalities have such frameworks.
  • Arielle Winter (ACLU of Wisconsin) provided examples of Flock misuse across the country, including false statements by company representatives, access to gymnasium cameras, and the risk of software updates enabling video/FRT.
  • Amanda Merkwae (ACLU of Wisconsin Advocacy Director) detailed MPD's sole-source contracts for surveillance technologies (Stingray, Fusus, Babel Street, Flock) and the absence of SOPs, calling for transparency.
  • Minister Caliph Muab El opposed Flock due to disproportionate placement in Black and Brown communities and past officer misuse (179 searches by one officer).
  • Nickolas X Doherty (Milwaukee Turners) described surveillance as a form of social control, opposing Flock and all ALPRs.
  • Kevin Sas-Perez argued for broadening the definition of use of force to include verbal escalation, and opposed an audit of Flock, saying the public's will is already clear.
  • Carlos Dixon criticized the focus on policy while conditions worsen, calling for systemic change.
  • Heba Mohammad opposed Flock and ALPRs, demanded a full ban on facial recognition, and criticized the commission's attitude toward public comment. She also referenced Chief Norman's trip to Israel and asked for a formal response.
  • Stephanie (no last name) echoed opposition to Flock, noted that police officers themselves scratch out license plates to avoid detection, and questioned the benefit of the technology.
  • Rheanne questioned the need for mass surveillance, citing reports of Flock considering hacked data, and supported a CCOPS framework.
  • Julie Hueller Curcio (virtual) supported a ban on Flock and FRT, additional restrictions on police chases, and condemned Chief Norman's training with Israeli forces.

Discussion Items

Item 10 – Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) Presentation (FPC212509) Taken out of order due to public interest. MPD Chief of Staff Heather Huff and Risk Manager James Lewis presented new auditing measures implemented after a misuse incident. Key points:

  • All Flock access was suspended in February 2026; users were required to undergo new training (video by Fusion Division captain), sign a user agreement, and be vetted by command and Fusion.
  • User counts reduced from ~370 to just over 100. Two users were removed after the April 2026 audit for invalid case numbers.
  • Monthly audits now use data analytics (Z-scores, outlier detection) to flag queries. Approximately 15% of total queries are flagged for supervisory review. Cases include high-volume searches (e.g., critical missing persons) where multiple officers query the same plate.
  • Officers must associate every query with a valid case or CAD number. Data is retained for 30 days; MPD keeps audit logs permanently.
  • No video or FRT capability on MPD Flock cameras. No cameras are dual-purpose. No immigration enforcement queries are permitted per SOP 130.
  • Audits are conducted monthly; real-time flagging is not yet technically feasible, but MPD is working on improvements.
  • Commissioners asked about protests, immigration, Fusion access, and community trust. MPD stated that no searches targeting First Amendment activity have been found, and if found, would be investigated through Internal Affairs. The communication was placed on file.

Item 9 – Use of Force SOP Modification (FPC212508) – Adopted 7-0. Resolution modifies SOP 460 to require use of force reports when officers draw or display a firearm to effect an arrest.

Item 11 – Minimum Requirements for Police Sergeant Discipline (FPC212510) – Referred to the FPC Testing and Recruiting Committee (May 12, 2026) for further discussion.

Item 12 – SOP/SOI Changes (FPC212511) – Placed on file. Five policy updates: SOP 263 (Records Management), SOP 467 (Conducted Energy Weapon), SOP 475 (Military Deployment Reintegration), SOP 670 (Bomb Threats), and Police Chaplaincy SOI. Changes described as administrative.

Items 7-8 – Examinations:

  • Item 7 (Police Sergeant eligible list extension): Adopted 7-0. List extended through December 5, 2026, to cover a gap caused by a delayed exam. Still many eligible candidates; recommendation from Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization to renew every two years.
  • Item 8 (Fire Cadet eligible list): Adopted 7-0. List for class starting August 2026.

Department of Emergency Communications:

  • Item 13 (5 probation extensions for ECO I positions): Adopted by voice vote (unanimous). Director Bueno noted employees need more training time.
  • Item 14 (3 probation extensions for ECO III positions): Adopted by voice vote.

Fire Department Promotions/Appointments:

  • Item 15 (John T. Kowalski to Vehicle Operations Training Coordinator): Adopted 7-0.
  • Item 16 (Michael E. Ballinger to Vehicle Operations Instructor): Adopted 7-0.
  • Item 17 (Scott D. Brow Jr. to Performance and Training Physical Therapist): Adopted by voice vote.
  • Item 18 (Sworn positions within EMS Division revised): Adopted by voice vote. Chief Lipsky said changes are half clerical and half future-proofing job descriptions for technology.

Police Department Promotions:

  • Items 19-20 (Promotions to Lieutenant and Sergeant) were taken out of order and approved earlier. Remaining:
  • Item 21 (8 promotions to Crime Scene Investigator II – civilian positions): Adopted 7-0.
  • Item 22 (Promotion of Cassandra Armstrong to Police Forensic Services Manager – civilian position): Adopted 7-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Police Sergeant eligible list extended through December 5, 2026 (7-0 vote).
  • Fire Cadet eligible list approved (7-0).
  • Use of Force SOP modified to require report when firearm displayed to effect arrest (7-0).
  • ALPR communication placed on file; MPD’s new auditing procedures and reduced user access acknowledged. No further action taken.
  • Sergeant discipline requirements referred to Testing and Recruiting Committee (May 12 meeting).
  • All personnel actions approved unanimously (7-0): probation extensions (DEC), promotions (Fire and Police), appointment (Physical Therapist), and revision of sworn positions in EMS Division.
  • Meeting adjourned at 8:56 PM.

Meeting Transcript

This is the May 7, 2026 regular meeting of the Fire and Police Commission. Present our Commissioners Virgos, Evans, Fung, Spence, Spencer, World Patterson, and myself, Commissioner Horowitz. Commissioners Raimi and Schneider are excused. Also present our FPC Executive Director, Leon Todd, and Deputy Director Jay Puse. Director, please proceed with the agenda. Thank you, Madam Chair. We will begin with item number one, public comment. For those who would like to speak and are here in person, please come up and sit at the front table when your name is called. If you are appearing virtually and have registered in advance to speak, please use the raise my hand feature in the webinar tools and unmute yourself when called upon to speak. Each person will be given up to five minutes to speak. And as usual, we will we will begin with uh people who are here in person. Uh we do have a new public comment form, and I I think there may be some confusion about the additional uh comments and uh uh line where you indicate support or or oppose um an agenda item. Uh, those were meant for for those who did not wish to speak but wanted to uh uh submit uh uh a written comment or note their uh objection uh or or uh support in writing. But uh it appears that uh that may not have been clear. So uh we'll see if we can make the uh the public comment form uh clear in the future, and then I will call out everyone's name, and if you do not actually want to speak, you can just so indicate. Uh but we will begin with Emilio De Torre from uh Milwaukee Turners. Good evening. Good evening. Uh good evening, members of the Milwaukee and Fire, uh Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. I'm Emilia DeTore with the Milwaukee Turners. Um, it's no surprise to you that Milwaukee is in the midst of a surveillance crisis. It was clear through the year-long push against facial recognition technology that residents don't want to be surveilled by law enforcement and military contractors through weird public-private business relationships. And I'm not even going to get into the personal abuses by individual officers. What we are hearing about Flock is more of the same. Last night, the city of Appleton voted to end their usage of Flock. Just this month, Oshkosh and Sturgeon Bay refused to renew their contracts, and Verona also. Dane County will terminate its contract in May. Mass surveillance. There is a web of over 92,000 flock cameras and counting across the nation, and this creates a drag net surveillance of all people, whether or not they are suspected of a crime or wanted for any particular reason. The cameras pick up everything in range of their view, not just license plates. They use AI to hone in on the licenses, but everything is covered. This has been shown extensively, and regardless of the data accessible through the agreement with MPD. Flock information is shared with the federal government. Flock CEO Garrett Langley says that groups that monitor flock locations and speak against the use of Flock, like DFLOC, are, quote, terroristic organizations whose primary motivation is chaos. A troubling response from someone we are paying to entrust with such power to surveil us. His backers like Mark Andreessen are big donors to the current president and to deregulation of tech and cryptocurrencies like this surveillance. They have clear financial and political interests in the expansion of this tech. Flock claims that it has never been hacked. This is completely false. Musician and engineer Ben Jordan used a commercial search engine to show how easily you can identify and access the administration interfaces of Flock cameras, identifying where they are, and none of the data or information was encrypted. No username nor password was required. They were publicly facing and accessible by anyone. You can click and see every single person, vehicle, place, and activity that the cameras captured over those 31 days. You can watch the footage in real time or access historic footage, not just select police officers, anyone could do this. He watched a man rollerblading and then looked at his phone, and the camera's AI automatically zoomed in on the phone. He watched a couple arguing in a market and then used easily accessible Flock public data and facial recognition technology to identify who who they were, that they had traveled 45 minutes from home to church that day, that they had just had a child, and had debt based on that new baby. One of them had just finished medical school, and the other was suffering from chronic irritable bowel syndrome. All of this from Flock Hammer's. Given how Flock has created and is marketing their new product Nova to provide law enforcement and one stop shopping for an aggregated database for synthesis and sharing, given how Flock financial backers are also supporters of our current federal abuses and practices, and given how Flock's website says that federal agencies are partners with, and I quote, can establish one-to-one sharing relationships with other law enforcement agencies. It is incredibly dangerous and unwise for us to continue to use this invasive product that forms such a large surveillance web to be integrated with other federal surveillance already being used to threaten and criminalize immigrants and political dissenters.

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