MILWAUKEE— A former Milwaukee police officer who admitted misusing the department’s Flock Safety license reader system has been sentenced to probation.
A Milwaukee County judge on Wednesday, July 15, sentenced 34-year-old Josue Ayala to one year of probation and ordered him to pay $500 fine after he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of attempted misconduct in public office.
Before sentencing, Ayala apologized to the court an accepted responsibility for his actions.
“I wanted to say thank you for taking the time to listen to me today. I wanted to begin by taking accountability for the poor judgment that I exercised. And my actions that brought me before the court,” Ayala said. “I dedicated 11 years of my life to law enforcement targeting violent offenders, making a difference in the community. I don’t offer that as an excuse, but I just wanted to. Don’t want that incident to reflect the person who I truly am and have been. So I just wanted to apologize for that.”
Prosecutors said Ayala, an eight-year veteran assigned to Milwaukee Police District 2, improperly accessed the department’s Flock Safety database nearly 180 times for personal reasons.
According to the criminal complaint, Ayala repeatedly searched the license plate of an ex-partner and that person’s former partner while using the word “investigation” to justify each search, despite there being no legitimate law enforcement purpose.
As part of the plea agreement, Ayala resigned from the Milwaukee Police Department after pleading guilty to the reduced misdemeanor charge. He originally faced a felony misconduct charge before prosecutors amended it during plea negotiations.
Milwaukee police say the department has since strengthened its auditing process for Flock systems. Officers who use the technology have been required to reapply for access and acknowledge the department’s policies governing its use.
Flock Safety cameras use automated license plate readers to help law enforcement locate vehicles connected to investigations, but department policy requires every search to be tied to a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
