DEFOREST, Wis. — In 2022, the Dane County Sheriff’s Department launched a yearlong Flock camera pilot program. It deployed 26 of the cameras throughout the county.
During an initial pilot program, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said the cameras helped many rural departments solve crimes.
“We now have in our budget for them to be purchased and used full time, so moving forward, this will help us keep and maintain the peace throughout all areas of Dane County,” said Barrett.
The motion-activated cameras run on solar power. They also can be moved to different locations.
The cameras don’t collect video. Rather, they take still images of driver’s license plates and other vehicle details. The photos are then uploaded to the cloud using a wireless connection and ran through a police database for any connection to crimes in the area. Any matches will alert officers in that area immediately.
Deputy Sheriff Brad Schroeder covers three towns in the Deforest area. He is often the only officer on duty.
“Here’s that plate again, so that vehicle is up here, that Alfa Romeo, that was three days ago,” said Schroeder, referring to a photo taken on the camera.
He said the cameras are strategically placed on major roadways throughout Dane County.
“Wheeler Road here is kind of a main drag off of the north side of Madison, but CV comes up from Madison all the way up to Deforest or Sun Prairie or the interstate system,” said Schroeder.
Schroeder said he wants the public to know these cameras aren’t being used to catch drunk drivers or suspended drivers. Instead, they are used to help with major crimes.
“It’s a tool to find stolen vehicles, missing persons, amber alerts,” said Schroeder.
Flock cameras are currently being used in 42 states and thousands of cities throughout the U.S. The cameras also help departments throughout the state work together to solve crimes.
“It’s a stolen Alfa Romeo SUV, white in color, and we were able to get that out to dispatch who then parrots it,” said Schroeder. “It also notifies state patrol because state patrol is right by the interstate, so they are sometimes very close.”
Barrett said the goal is not to replace officers with these cameras, but instead to help them be more productive.
“It enhances our ability to put the pieces together to conduct a fair and thorough investigation,” said Barrett.