Wausau Rhinelander, WI, October 29, 2026 — The Wausau Common Council has voted to cover the city’s 20 automated license plate reader cameras. The decision was made during a council meeting where members cast a 9-to-1 vote in favor of obscuring the devices.

This action follows expressions of privacy concerns voiced by residents. The council’s vote to cover the cameras is a step taken ahead of the city’s planned termination of its contract with Flock Safety, the provider of the automated license plate reader technology. The city is scheduled to end its contract with Flock Safety next year.

The decision to cease using the cameras and end the contract is also projected to result in significant financial savings for the city. It is anticipated that the move will save Wausau $50,000 annually. The specific details regarding the implementation timeline for covering the cameras were not immediately available. The exact nature of the privacy concerns raised by residents was also not fully detailed in the information provided.

Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers are designed to capture images of license plates of vehicles passing by. The city’s decision to cover these 20 units indicates a shift in its approach to surveillance technology, prioritizing resident privacy concerns over the continued operation of the current system. The city will no longer utilize the service from Flock Safety after the contract concludes next year, marking the end of this technological deployment in Wausau.

The vote count, 9 in favor and 1 against, suggests a strong consensus among council members regarding the resolution. The council’s action directly addresses the privacy concerns, a factor that influenced the outcome of the vote. The financial implications of ending the contract are also a notable aspect of this decision, with an expected annual saving of $50,000.


Story summarized from the original created by Adam Mueller on www.wsaw.com, see more information here.

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