Oshkosh Common Council approves one year contract to use Flock cameras
Apr 21, 2026
Update: The Oshkosh Common Council passed by a vote of 6 to 1, an amendment reducing the Flock camera contract agreement from two years to one year.Then by a vote of 5 to 2 the council approved the one year contract agreement.Th
e Oshkosh Common Council met Tuesday to discuss whether to extend the citys use of Flock cameras.Installed in 2022, the cameras track license plates and vehicle characteristics. The technology has been a hot topic in Oshkosh since March 31, with residents and city officials split on the issue after an inconclusive Oshkosh Common Council meeting.Oshkosh Police Chief Dean Smith highlighted the effectiveness of the cameras last month."We have a higher clearance rate on crimes than the national average, and this is in part due to our license plate readers," Smith said.However, newly elected Oshkosh Common Council member Alec Lefeber feels the system is not right for the city."This is a complex issue for a lot of people," Lefeber said."For many this comes down to two camps, public safety and public trust," Lefeber said."2022 was a different political era than 2026. Now, were approaching this in a new time where we are having citizens who are very concerned about the technology," Lefeber said.Some residents, like Eric Koestar, support the cameras and believe they help the police."To me its a good idea. I know a lot of people feel that its a big brother thing, but were in a society where even your phones listen to you all the time," one resident said.Other residents, including Diamonique Johnson, are pushing back against the technology."Well, I'm sort of against it basically because I dont really want to be tracked. I dont want people to be able to recognize me by doing that. I feel like it is an invasion of privacy."This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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