OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - The Oshkosh City Council voted unanimously to rescind its contract renewal with Flock Safety less than 24 hours after approving the use of Flock cameras for another year despite pushback from the public.
The morning after a 5-2 vote renewing a contract with Flock for another year, Oshkosh Police Chief Dean Smith said members of his agency brought him security information about the product that conflicted with what Flock Safety representatives shared with the council Tuesday night. He took action to express his loss of support for the contract.
“I know that you trust me to give you my best recommendations, that are in the best interest of the city, with the information I have available to me, I will not betray that trust,” Smith said.
Smith said he witnessed how one statement to the council proved to be false.
On Tuesday night, Flock Safety’s experts told the council their license-plate reading systems did not create heat maps to track vehicles, which Oshkosh police determined to be untrue.
Council members who voted for renewal one night before offered apologies Wednesday.
“I mentioned yesterday how its not just jellybeans on each side of a balance that helps me make my decision, and clearly I didn’t have enough jellybeans on the right side,” said Karl Buelow, deputy mayor of Oshkosh.
“I don’t know how...
Police chief says security concerns and misrepresentations led to unanimous reversal less than 24 hours after approval OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - The Oshkosh City Council voted unanimously to rescind i...