West Allis Flock System Aided Police in Milwaukee Arrest

What happened

West Allis police used Flock technology to help catch a Milwaukee man accused of stabbing his grandfather. Police also used the system in cases involving shooting suspects.

The Milwaukee man faces an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Any criminal case against him will depend on evidence considered through the legal process. The same distinction applies to people identified as suspects in the shooting cases: being investigated or arrested does not establish guilt.

Flock’s role was to assist police. The arrest itself does not establish what happened before officers located the man, and the use of the technology is separate from the evidence needed to prove a criminal charge.

The public-safety issue

The cases put attention on how West Allis police use Flock technology during investigations. The central public questions include when officers may use the system, what information it collects, how long information is retained and who may access it. Those policies are separate from whether an individual defendant committed an alleged offense.

The development is not connected to a candidate, political race or election. It concerns local public safety, police investigative practices and the treatment of accused people within the justice system.

Further steps in the criminal process may clarify the allegations, the formal charges and the evidence authorities intend to use. Public records may also show how Flock contributed to locating the Milwaukee man and the shooting suspects, as well as what procedures governed those searches.