Milwaukee Police Officer Faces Court Hearing After Alleged Personal Use of Flock License-Plate Search System

Court appearance follows criminal charge tied to automated license-plate reader database searches

A Milwaukee Police Department officer is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, March 4, 2026, after being charged with attempted misconduct in public office connected to searches conducted through the department’s Flock Safety license-plate recognition system.

Prosecutors filed the charge on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, alleging the officer used authorized access to the database for reasons outside lawful police duties. The single count is a misdemeanor. If convicted, the potential maximum penalty includes up to nine months in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

What the complaint alleges

Investigators allege the officer conducted repeated searches tied to two people who previously had been in a relationship with each other. The complaint describes a timeline between March 26 and May 26, 2025, during which the officer allegedly searched one person’s license plate 124 times and the other person’s plate 55 times, for a total of 179 searches.

Authorities allege the searches were performed while the officer was on duty and that each query was entered under the rationale “investigation.” The allegation is that the searches were conducted for personal reasons, including checking locations, rather than for a bona fide law-enforcement purpose as required by departmental policy governing use of the technology.

• Charge: attempted misconduct in public office (act in excess of lawful authority)
• Alleged search period: March 26 to May 26, 2025
• Alleged search volume: 179 total (124 for one plate; 55 for the other)
• Court date referenced: March 4, 2026

Department actions and due-process posture

Milwaukee police have said the officer was placed on full suspension after the department became aware of the allegations in December 2025. Police leadership has also said the department implemented additional auditing mechanisms after the allegations surfaced, though the specific changes have not been publicly detailed.

The police chief has stated that the officer is entitled to due process and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Separately, public statements released during the case have indicated a resignation agreement is expected or under negotiation as part of the matter.

How Flock searches are documented and why audits matter

Flock Safety’s platform is designed to store search activity in audit logs that record the user and the stated reason for a query. In this case, investigators cite audit data and complaint allegations to support the claim that searches were made repeatedly using the same one-word justification. The allegations have renewed local scrutiny of how access is granted, how search reasons are recorded, and how quickly internal reviews detect patterns inconsistent with policy.

The case is being handled in Milwaukee County’s criminal court process and is expected to proceed through standard pretrial steps, beginning with the scheduled court appearance on March 4.