The ACLU of Wisconsin and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a petition on Oct. 14 asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take a case challenging warrantless searches of data from automatic license plate reader systems used by Green Bay, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha.
The petitioners are the Wisconsin Council of Churches, which represents more than 2,000 congregations, and Green Bay pastor Melissa Pagel. They argue that looking back through large amounts of plate-reader data without a warrant counts as a search under Article I, Section 11 of the Wisconsin Constitution and should require a judge's approval, except in genuine emergencies.
Plate-reader cameras photograph license plates and vehicle details on public roads, record the time, and upload the images to searchable databases that agencies can share. ACLU attorney Wes Haslam said the systems track and log information about thousands of drivers, while Wisconsin Council of Churches executive director Dr. Kerri Parker said people attending recovery meetings, domestic violence services or confidential counseling expect that privacy to be protected.
The filing comes as cities across Wisconsin debate the cameras. Green Bay, which has used Flock cameras since 2022, shortened its data retention from 30 days to seven in September 2026 and now requires a case or call number for searches. Kenosha has ended its Flock contract and moved toward an Axon system, and Racine has also taken steps to end its Flock contract. A separate lawsuit filed in September by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty challenges Flock systems in Waukesha County.
Flock Safety says its cameras capture still images of vehicles visible in public, do not use facial recognition and do not identify occupants, and says more than 45 courts have found that fixed plate readers do not violate the Fourth Amendment. The company says it supports legislation setting accountability and oversight rules.
The Supreme Court must first decide whether to hear the case directly, which would skip the lower courts. The petition is docketed as case number 2026AP002417.
