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Milwaukee police officer misused Flock license-plate database to track ex-partner and new partner about 179 times

Milwaukee Police Officer Josue Ayala used the department's Flock automated license-plate-reader system to track the locations of an ex-partner and that ex-partner's new partner roughly 179 times between March 26 and May 26, 2025, logging each search under a false "investigation" justification. The misuse surfaced after one victim searched her own plate on haveibeenflocked.com; a department audit and a criminal complaint filed February 24, 2026 confirmed the unauthorized searches and Ayala was charged with misdemeanor attempted misconduct in public office. Ayala resigned from MPD in March 2026 and pleaded guilty in June 2026.

Part of: Police Using License-Plate Camera Networks to Stalk

Jurisdiction
Wisconsin
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Abuses documented

Actors

  • Josue Ayala (Officer, Milwaukee Police Department)

Between March 26 and May 26, 2025, Milwaukee Police Officer Josue Ayala used the department's Flock automated license-plate-reader system to search the locations of an ex-partner and that ex-partner's new partner, running roughly 179 combined searches — 55 on one, 124 on the other — while personally involved with one of the two, according to a criminal complaint filed February 24, 2026. Ayala, an eight-year MPD veteran assigned to District Two, logged each search under the generic justification "investigation" while on duty, the complaint states.

The misuse surfaced after one victim searched her own license plate on the public tool haveibeenflocked.com and reported the pattern to police. A department audit of Flock records traced the unauthorized searches to Ayala's login and found no legitimate law-enforcement purpose for them. He was charged with one count of attempted misconduct in public office, a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

This entry records the underlying misuse; Ayala's resignation, guilty plea, and sentencing are documented below.

Updates

2025-12 — MPD placed Ayala on full suspension after learning of the allegations [6]

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the department placed Ayala on full suspension once it became aware of the misuse allegations in December 2025, and that it implemented additional Flock auditing mechanisms in response.

2026-03-04 — Ayala pleaded not guilty and resigned from MPD as a negotiated condition [1, 4]

Ayala entered a not-guilty plea at his initial court appearance and resigned from the department hours beforehand; the criminal complaint identifies his resignation as a condition of the case's negotiated resolution.

2026-06-11 — Ayala pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted misconduct in public office [5]

Ayala pleaded guilty to the single misdemeanor count; prosecutors recommended a fine rather than jail time as part of the plea agreement.

2026-07-13 — Sentencing scheduled [5]

A sentencing hearing was scheduled for July 13, 2026, with the final penalty left to the judge's discretion.

Why we recorded this

Privacy from government surveillance is a basic democratic protection: officials granted access to government tracking systems are trusted to use that access only for legitimate law-enforcement purposes. A Milwaukee police officer instead ran the department's Flock license-plate-reader system roughly 179 times over two months to track a former partner and her new partner, logging each search under a false "investigation" justification to conceal the personal use. This archive records when officials convert lawful surveillance access into a tool of personal control over private citizens, and how that misuse can continue for months before an outside audit or a targeted person's own check catches it.

Sources

  1. Criminal Complaint — State v. Josue Ayala — Milwaukee Police Department primary accessed July 13, 2026
  2. Milwaukee police officer charged in Flock camera misuse case — FOX6 Milwaukee primary accessed July 13, 2026
  3. Milwaukee officer accused of misusing Flock surveillance cameras — Wisconsin Examiner secondary accessed July 13, 2026
  4. Milwaukee police officer accused of misconduct pleads not guilty, resigns — WTMJ Milwaukee primary accessed July 13, 2026
  5. Flock search misuse, former Milwaukee police officer pleads guilty — FOX6 Milwaukee primary accessed July 13, 2026
  6. MPD officer resigns ahead of court appearance in Flock search misconduct case — FOX6 Milwaukee primary accessed September 4, 2026

See also