📹 Fitchburg tests alternatives to Flock

Privacy activists have been urging local governments to end their contracts with Flock Safety, which supplies police departments with automated license plate readers. When the city of Fitchburg voted in May to end its contract with Flock, those activists cheered.

But now Fitchburg city officials will test alternatives to Flock from two of its competitors, Axon and Motorola. Officials hope the cameras will provide police with important information without the privacy and security risks associated with Flock. But some privacy experts don’t see much of a difference. [News 3, 🔒 WSJ]

📹 What’s the Concern About Flock Cameras? Flock safety has about 120,000 cameras across the country, using artificial intelligence to record and store data such as license plate numbers, and car makes and models. Proponents say they help law enforcement find criminals more quickly.

But opponents say the cameras are unwanted government surveillance of its citizens. There have also been multiple cases of law enforcement officers abusing their access to Flock data, such as a Milwaukee police officer who allegedly used Flock cameras to track the person he was dating and her ex. [Axios, 🎧 City Cast Madison, WPR]

⛔ Shutting Off Flock Cameras: While Flock Safety made changes to its network aimed at cutting down on abuse and misuse, several local governments ended their Flock contracts in response to public backlash.

After Flock refused to remove its cameras after Dane County ended its contract in April, city officials covered them up. While the Madison Police Department does not use Flock cameras, and UW-Madison police ended their contract, there are still four cameras around the Capitol Square used by state police. [🔒WSJ, WMTV, Cap Times]

💸 St. Vinny’s Loses $100K in Revenue From Protests: After being closed for 10 days in the wake of the protests against the police shooting of Corey Ruiz, the St. Vincent de Paul store on Williamson Street is struggling to recover from losing $100,000 in sales. They are asking for donations to recoup the money.

• Even after the memorial erected by protesters was taken down by police, Willy Street businesses say there’s still been a drop in customer traffic.
• The Willy Marquette Business Alliance has put together a fundraiser for impacted businesses. [News 3, St. Vincent de Paul, WKOW, GoFundMe]

🙏 Rev. Sharpton Praises Activists in Ruiz Eulogy: In his eulogy for Ruiz on Friday at Fountain of Life Church, civil rights activist and Baptist minister Rev. Al Sharpton praised the work of local activists for pressing city officials for accountability. By contrast, he said Madison officials “don’t want peace, they want quiet.” [WPR]

⚖️ Study Says Dane County Bail Assessment Didn’t Work: A Harvard Law School lab concluded that Dane County’s program to assess whether a person on bail would show up for their hearing or not has been ineffective. The county’s risk assessment tool looks at factors such as the person’s age or criminal history. [Cap Times]

🎉 Orton Park Festival is Still On: While several other summer events, such as AtwoodFest, were canceled in the wake of the police shooting of Corey Ruiz, Orton Park Festival will go on as planned Aug. 28-30. The Marquette Neighborhood Association approved going ahead with the annual festival, saying it will hopefully help the community heal as well as help vendors recoup revenue they’ve lost this summer. [🔒WSJ]

Meet Oliver! This over-90-pound adult pup is shy when meeting new people, but once comfortable, he shows his sweet and snuggly side. In fact, he enjoys giving wet, slobbery kisses to those he loves and trusts. He loves going for walks, playing with toys, enjoys a good round of fetch. When it’s time to settle down, Oliver is a great snuggler and loves to stay close.

Oliver is looking for a female-only household where his family can continue to build his confidence and work on his positive reinforcement training while also spoiling him with lots of walks, snuggles, and love.