(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala and Police Chief Patrick Patton issued a joint statement Thursday defending the city’s use of Automated License Plate Reader technology, pointing to several major criminal investigations in which the technology assisted police while emphasizing new restrictions intended to protect residents’ privacy.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
The statement comes as the city transitions away from the Flock ALPR system and toward technology provided by Axon. According to Bogdala and Patton, Kenosha began that process in January 2026 as part of an ongoing evaluation of law-enforcement technology, privacy protections and accountability.
“Technology has become an important tool in modern law enforcement,” Bogdala and Patton said. “When used appropriately, Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology can help the Kenosha Police Department locate stolen vehicles, identify vehicles connected to serious crimes, assist in investigations and help keep our community safe.”
City officials said ALPR technology has assisted Kenosha police in “countless crimes,” including sexual assault, homicide and fraud investigations.
ALPR Technology Credited In Serious Crime Investigations
In March 2024, police investigated the sexual assault of a student inside a locker room at a local college. According to the city, the suspect was initially unidentified, but ALPR technology helped investigators identify and arrest him. Police later connected the man to multiple other sexual assaults on college campuses throughout the Midwest.
In another sexual assault investigation in November 2024, the city said ALPR information helped detectives elevate a person of interest to the investigation’s prime suspect. That individual was ultimately connected to what officials described as a broader pattern of criminal activity that included several additional sexual assaults.
Kenosha police also relied upon ALPR technology during a November 2025 homicide investigation on the city’s north side. Investigators used the system to trace the movements of a suspect vehicle following the killing. According to Bogdala and Patton, that information helped detectives obtain evidence, conduct targeted interviews and ultimately identify and arrest the alleged shooter and accomplices.
Most recently, police used ALPR information in an August 2026 investigation involving an elderly victim who reported losing more than $60,000 in an online computer-hacking scam. Investigators reportedly used ALPR data to identify suspects who were subsequently linked to a broader network of similar elder-fraud activity.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
City Says Access Is Restricted
Bogdala and Patton acknowledged that technology capable of recording the movements of vehicles on public streets creates legitimate privacy concerns.
“The people of Kenosha deserve both: a police department equipped with the tools it needs to keep them safe and strong safeguards to ensure those tools are used responsibly,” the two officials said.
According to the city, Kenosha adopted specific restrictions on ALPR use when the technology was implemented rather than waiting for privacy concerns to arise later.
Access to ALPR information is restricted to detectives, members of specialized units working assigned cases and supervisors responding to requests from officers. The city says the database is not available for unrestricted searching by every police officer.
Every search must also be tied to a legitimate law-enforcement purpose and include a police case number and an explanation of the approved search criteria. That requirement is intended to create a record showing who accessed the information and why.
Supervisors are tasked with auditing ALPR activity, and searches must serve what the city describes as a legitimate public-safety purpose.
“ALPR is an investigative tool, not a license to conduct unrestricted searches of residents’ movements,” the city’s statement said.
Why Kenosha Is Leaving Flock For Axon
The city said one significant distinction with the Axon system involves how information can be shared outside Kenosha.
According to Bogdala and Patton, Axon ALPR information “can only be viewed or shared with outside agencies with our approval,” which city officials say gives Kenosha additional control over its data and provides another privacy safeguard.
The city said policies will continue to evolve as the technology changes.
“As with any technology changes, our policies must change with it,” Bogdala and Patton said.
The two officials rejected the idea that effective policing and privacy protections must necessarily conflict.
“We also understand that new technology can raise legitimate questions about privacy, data access and accountability,” they said. “Those questions deserve thoughtful answers, not fear or complacency. The appropriate response is to establish clear rules before problems occur. That is precisely what Kenosha has done.”
Bogdala and Patton said the city’s goal is to give police technology capable of helping solve serious crimes while requiring documented use, reasonable restrictions and meaningful oversight.
“We can protect public safety without compromising the principles of privacy, accountability and responsible government,” their statement concluded. “In Kenosha, we intend to do both.”
3 Responses
The new rules still let police store where cars go, then look that history up with a case number and a supervisor. That is an internal checklist. It is not a warrant.
If they want historical location data or live tracking of a vehicle, they should have to show probable cause to a judge, the same way they would for a phone’s location. Public streets are not a free pass to build a movement file on people who are not suspects.
If they had probable cause, they would already have what is necessary for an arrest. These cameras are an effective tool for investigators, any misuse should be punishable with prison time. That would end malfeasance. After all, how is Kellum and the other jokers that make up the Kenosha Judiciary going to release people and dismiss charges if the police can’t investigate and arrest criminals?
If the data is collected, it will be stolen and corrupted.