Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee meeting. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee has voted to direct the City Council to withhold $50,000 payments to FLOCK Safety in the 2027 and 2028 budgets while exploring options to terminate the city’s contract with the embattled company.
Following a closed-door discussion, Alder Kristin Slonski moved to withhold the funds and review the contract’s exit clauses. Slonski noted she split the motion into two parts because many residents expressed a desire to end the contract, even if termination brings a cost to the city.
Alder Carol Lukens seconded the motion, which passed on a unanimous voice vote.
The vote followed a 10-minute presentation from Detective Captain Ben Graham, who outlined the benefits of the Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program while acknowledging the ongoing controversy. Graham noted he set aside his prepared PowerPoint and outline to speak directly to the committee.
“We’re trying to dispel some of the misinformation that is out there so people can make decisions based on facts, and not just feelings,” Graham said. “I get it, this can be an emotional topic, and people can be very passionate. What I really tried to talk about was the fact that, in this FLOCK debate, people really tried to pit ‘liberty’ and ‘justice’ against one another. But you can’t have one without the other. While FLOCK doesn’t deliver justice for all, it does deliver justice for more.”
Graham stated there is no evidence of data misuse or contract violations, describing the city’s relationship with FLOCK as professional and productive. He urged the city not to close the door on the technology entirely, suggesting state-level standardization could help rebuild public trust.
“I do think the state needs to consider improving legislation around ALPRs,” Graham said. “For instance, what do we agree is the ideal data retention rate? Is it 30 days, 21 days, or seven days? Also, on the open records side, responding to requests is difficult because nothing in our current statutes specifically addresses this data. There are tremendous opportunities for improvement.”
He added that rapid technological advancements often outpace policy. “It’s hard for any of us to keep up with technology. You’re always going to have AI-driven technologies that outpace policies. I can’t look into a crystal ball and say what’s going to happen in a year or two.”
Graham also commended residents who attended the meeting for keeping public comments civil.
The Finance Committee will consider withholding the payments at a future meeting before the proposal moves to the full City Council for final approval.
Wausau is the latest Central Wisconsin municipality considering ending its relationship with FLOCK Safety. Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza recently directed city staff to cover local FLOCK cameras, while Clark County canceled its contract last month. Wisconsin Rapids is scheduled to discuss its agreement later this week.
Other Wisconsin communities that have severed ties with FLOCK include Racine, Waukesha, Menasha, and Ashland, alongside Dane, Racine, Winnebago, and Fond du Lac counties.
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