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Oshkosh council rescinds Flock approval after police chief says vendor misrepresented heat‑map capability
Summary
After the police chief told the council he had confirmed the vendor’s system produces heat‑map/pattern‑of‑life data despite earlier denials, the Oshkosh Common Council voted unanimously to rescind its prior approval of a Flock Group Inc. contract and called for stronger oversight and policy work.
The Oshkosh Common Council on April 22 voted 7‑0 to rescind its prior approval of an agreement with Flock Group Inc. after Chief Dean Smith told the council his staff had visually confirmed the vendor’s system creates heat‑map or pattern‑of‑life data — a capability council members had been told the product did not have.
Chief Dean Smith told the meeting that after the council approved renewal the previous night he was informed by his staff that the vendor had answered earlier questions incorrectly. "Because of this misrepresentation, specifically to a question asked by a council member, I can no longer recommend flock," he said, adding he would not speculate whether the error was intentional.
The reversal followed nearly three hours of public comment in which multiple residents, experts and survivors criticized the company’s claims and urged the council to reject the contract. Malia Hawkwell, who said she has professional experience in the field, told the council that a vendor representative had falsely claimed the product used end‑to‑end encryption and that the company ‘‘has full access to customer data.’’ Christina Taylor told the council the decision created exposure for taxpayers beyond the $80,000 annual contract price and asked whether the city could be named in ongoing litigation.
Council members said vendor statements that proved inaccurate undermined their ability to assess the technology. Council Member Stevenson said during debate, "Don't lie to me," and several members described being unwilling to approve a contract after what they called demonstrable misstatements. The clerk recorded the rescission vote as carried 7‑0.
Council members and public speakers repeatedly urged the city to develop clearer surveillance‑technology policy and to consider a citizen oversight body to review such contracts before votes. City staff and several council members said the rescission would be followed by additional conversations about procurement, oversight and next steps; staff cited Wisconsin statute 19.84 for shortened notice on this item because new information arrived after the April 21 meeting.
What happens next: The council rescinded approval of the Flock agreement tonight and directed staff to reject the contract as presented. Council members said they expect more discussion about surveillance policies, potential oversight commissions and technical guardrails before any future purchase or replacement technology is considered.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 028; topfinish SEG 1427.
